Sri Lanka Assists Stranded Iranian Crew Amid Rising Tensions in West Asia
Colombo, Sri Lanka – Sri Lanka is evacuating 208 crew members from the Iranian naval ship IRINS Bushehr, which reported an engine fault while near Sri Lankan territorial waters, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced Thursday. This comes a day after a U.S. submarine reportedly sank another Iranian warship, IRIS Dena, in the same area, resulting in at least 84 confirmed fatalities and escalating concerns about the widening conflict in West Asia.
The Sri Lankan Navy is transporting the crew to the port of Colombo, while the IRINS Bushehr will be diverted to Trincomalee harbor on the eastern coast. President Dissanayake emphasized the decision was made on humanitarian grounds, stating, “No one deserves to die in this war. Every life is precious.”
The unfolding situation places Sri Lanka in a delicate position as it attempts to maintain its neutral foreign policy amidst growing regional instability. Dissanayake stated the country is “hoping for the best and preparing for the worst,” acknowledging potential impacts on the global economy and the livelihoods of its citizens. Colombo previously called for “maximum restraint” and de-escalation from all parties involved following recent attacks on Iran.
News of the second Iranian vessel prompted concern during a parliamentary debate Thursday, with opposition leader Sajith Premadasa raising questions about regional security and the ship’s proximity to Colombo Port. Cabinet Spokesman Nalinda Jayatissa clarified to Parliament that the vessel was within Sri Lanka’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) but not its territorial waters.
Thirty-two sailors rescued from the IRIS Dena on Wednesday are currently receiving medical treatment at a public hospital in Galle district. The IRIS Dena had been returning from participating in the International Fleet Review 2026 in Visakhapatanam, India, when it issued a distress call approximately 40 nautical miles off Sri Lanka’s southern coast. Search efforts continue for those still missing.
Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath arrived in New Delhi Thursday to attend the Raisina Dialogue, a global forum on international affairs. He spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi regarding the “rapidly evolving situation in the Middle East,” expressing Sri Lanka’s “grave concern” and reaffirming the importance of diplomatic dialogue.
U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth stated Wednesday that an American submarine sank the Iranian frigate, calling it a “quiet death” and the “first sinking of an enemy ship” by a torpedo since World War II. Araghchi responded on X, stating the U.S. had “perpetrated an atrocity at sea” and would “bitterly regret” the action.