President Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced that a total of 208 personnel aboard the Iranian Navy vessel IRIS Bushehr, currently positioned near Sri Lanka’s maritime boundary, are being brought ashore to Colombo under arrangements made by the Sri Lanka Navy.
Speaking during a special media briefing at the Presidential Secretariat, the President said the sailors would be transported to the Colombo Harbour before the vessel is moved to the strategic eastern port of Trincomalee Harbour.
He also appealed to political actors not to exploit the situation for narrow political gains, stressing that cooperation among all stakeholders was vital to safeguard regional stability and promote global peace.
The situation was also debated extensively in Parliament. Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Nalinda Jayatissa clarified that the Iranian vessel was not within Sri Lanka’s territorial waters but was located in the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone near its maritime boundary.
Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa told Parliament that another Iranian ship had been sighted near the Port of Colombo. Responding to the claim, Minister Jayatissa said the government possessed more detailed intelligence about the situation than what had been publicly disclosed, and assured that authorities were managing the matter carefully to minimize loss of life and maintain regional peace.
He emphasized that Sri Lanka’s actions were being guided by international law and humanitarian considerations.
The developments come in the wake of the sinking of the Iranian warship IRIS Dena off Sri Lanka’s southern coast on Wednesday. The vessel was reportedly struck by a U.S. submarine, resulting in the deaths of at least 84 sailors, while 32 others were rescued and hospitalized by the Sri Lanka Navy.
The incident occurred amid escalating tensions following a joint U.S.-Israel military campaign against Iran, which has widened across the Middle East.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the attack, accusing Washington of committing “an atrocity at sea” far from Iran’s shores and warning that the United States would “bitterly regret” setting such a precedent.
Medical officials said the rescued Iranian sailors were being treated under tight security at hospital facilities, guarded by police and elite commandos, although some of the injured are expected to be discharged soon.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it was assessing the humanitarian situation and coordinating with Sri Lankan authorities.
According to reports, the frigate had issued a distress call early Wednesday morning but had sunk before Sri Lankan rescue vessels reached the scene. The warship had been returning from a naval exercise in the Indian port city of Visakhapatnam.
Sri Lanka has maintained a neutral stance throughout the conflict and has repeatedly called for dialogue to resolve the escalating crisis in the Middle East.
—With media inputs
