Sri Lanka takes custody of Iranian vessel off its coast
Sri Lanka transferred more than 200 sailors from an Iranian navy ship to shore after the country requested assistance while anchored outside its waters, as tensions rose following the sinking of an Iranian warship by a US submarine in the Indian Ocean.
Sri Lankan navy spokesperson Commander Buddhika Sampath said that 204 sailors of IRIS Bushehr were brought to Welisara Naval Base near the capital Colombo.
They went through border control procedures and medical tests, but none of them were found to have any health problems.
About 15 more people were left on board along with Sri Lankan naval personnel to assist as they reported a malfunction on board.
Iranian sailors interpret operational instructions, manuals and navigational logs for their Sri Lankan counterparts.
He said the ship will be taken to the Trincomalee port in eastern Sri Lanka and will remain in Sri Lankan custody until further notice.
The Sri Lankan government detained Bushehr after the United States sank the Iranian warship IRIS Dena off the coast of Sri Lanka on Wednesday.
The attack was one of the rare instances in which a submarine sank a surface warship since World War II and underscored the expanding scope of the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran.
No civilians should die in wars. Our approach is that every life is as valuable as our own. We jealously guard our non-aligned policy while ensuring that human values and saving lives remain our top priority. What the world urgently needs today is peace. A… pic.twitter.com/ELVOP9dER0— Anura Kumara Dissanayake (@anuradisanayake) March 6, 2026
While returning home, Dena participated in naval exercises hosted by India before going into international waters.
According to India’s defense ministry, at least 74 countries participated in the events, including the US navy, which conducted reconnaissance aircraft and maritime patrol exercises.
The ministry said the Indian navy received a distress signal from Dena, but by the time it launched a search and rescue operation, the Sri Lankan navy had already begun its own rescue efforts.
Sri Lankan navy rescued 32 sailors and recovered 87 bodies.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said the Dena was carrying “almost 130” crew members.
The normal crew size of a warship of this class is 140.
Araqchi called the sinking an “atrocity at sea” and said the United States would “bitterly regret” the attack.
Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said late Thursday that authorities decided to take control of the IRIS Bushehr after talks with Iranian officials and the ship’s captain after one of its engines failed.
“We need to understand that this is not an ordinary situation. This is a request by a ship belonging to one party to enter our port. We have to evaluate this according to international agreements and conventions,” he told reporters on Thursday night.
In a separate report, he wrote about X on Friday: “No civilians should die in wars. Our approach is that each life is as valuable as ours.”
IRIS Bushehr was described in previous Iranian media reports as a naval logistics ship equipped with a helipad.
Dissanayake said Sri Lanka was guided by neutrality while seeking to uphold humanitarian principles.
“We have taken a very clear stance. We will not be prejudiced against any state, nor will we bow to any state,” he said.
The Australian government confirmed on Friday that three Australians were on the submarine that sank IRIS Dena.
The Australians were there as part of a tripartite training program by the US, Australia and the UK under the AUKUS security agreement.
