COLOMBO: Sri Lanka has taken temporary custody of an Iranian naval vessel after a separate Iranian warship was sunk by a U.S. submarine near its maritime zone earlier this week, a development that has heightened tensions across the Indian Ocean.
According to Sri Lanka’s navy, more than 200 Iranian sailors from the vessel IRIS Bushehr were transferred ashore on Friday after the ship requested assistance while positioned outside Sri Lankan waters.
Navy spokesperson Commander Buddhika Sampath said 204 crew members were brought to the Welisara Naval Base, located near Colombo, where they underwent immigration procedures and medical examinations. Officials confirmed that none of the sailors required medical treatment.
Around 15 crew members remained on board the vessel alongside Sri Lankan naval personnel after the ship reported an engine malfunction. The Iranian sailors are assisting Sri Lankan authorities by translating operational manuals, logs and technical instructions related to the vessel.
Authorities say the ship will be escorted to Trincomalee Port in eastern Sri Lanka, where it will remain under Sri Lankan supervision until further notice.
Warship Sinking Raises Regional Tensions
The situation unfolded shortly after a U.S. submarine sank the Iranian warship IRIS Dena off Sri Lanka’s coast on Wednesday. The incident is considered one of the rare occasions since World War II that a submarine has destroyed a surface warship.
The attack has drawn international attention as it signals the expanding reach of the U.S.-Israeli military campaign targeting Iranian forces.
The Dena had previously participated in large multinational naval exercises hosted by India, involving more than 70 countries, including the United States. The exercises included reconnaissance operations, maritime patrol missions and aerial drills.
According to India’s Defense Ministry, the Indian navy received a distress signal from the Dena, but by the time a search and rescue mission was organized, Sri Lanka’s navy had already launched its own emergency operation.
Sri Lankan rescue teams managed to save 32 sailors and recover 87 bodies from the sea.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the vessel carried around 130 crew members, describing the sinking as an “atrocity at sea” and warning that the United States would face consequences for the attack.
Sri Lanka Says Move Follows International Law
Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake explained that the decision to allow the IRIS Bushehr into Sri Lankan jurisdiction was taken after consultations with Iranian authorities and the ship’s captain following the reported mechanical failure.
He stressed that the government’s response was guided by international maritime conventions and humanitarian principles.
“This is not a normal situation. When a vessel requests entry into our port, we must evaluate it under international treaties and maritime law,” the president told reporters.
Later in a statement shared online, Dissanayake emphasized the importance of protecting lives during times of conflict.
“No civilian should lose their life in war. Every human life carries the same value,” he wrote.
The IRIS Bushehr has previously been described in Iranian media as a naval logistics ship equipped with a helicopter landing pad.
Neutrality Tested Amid Expanding Conflict
The widening Middle East conflict has placed Sri Lanka in a sensitive diplomatic position. The island nation sits along key shipping routes in the Indian Ocean and traditionally follows a policy of neutrality and non-alignment in global conflicts.
Former Sri Lankan foreign secretary H.M.G.S. Palihakkara told WorldAffairs that the country acted appropriately by responding to a distress call at sea.
“Under the Law of the Sea and international humanitarian conventions, Sri Lanka had a duty to assist a vessel in distress and protect the lives of sailors,” he explained.
Palihakkara added that responding to the emergency does not mean Sri Lanka has taken sides in the conflict.
“You cannot ignore a distress signal. Maritime law requires assistance even if the ship belongs to a nation involved in conflict,” he said.
Security analysts also note that once the Iranian vessel docks in Sri Lanka, it technically remains under Iranian jurisdiction, limiting Colombo’s authority to inspect it unless it formally aligns with another party in the conflict.
Australians Confirmed on U.S. Submarine
Meanwhile, Australia confirmed that three Australian personnel were aboard the U.S. submarine that carried out the attack on the IRIS Dena.
The sailors were participating in a joint U.S.-U.K.-Australia training program under the AUKUS security pact.
Australian officials said they had not been informed beforehand about the strike on the Iranian vessel. While Canberra has supported efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, it has not publicly commented on the legality of the attack.
Defense analyst Neil James said it would be highly unusual for Australian personnel embedded within another country’s military to take direct combat action against a nation that Australia itself is not at war with.
“The decision to fire a torpedo would come from the submarine’s command chain,” he said. “It is very unlikely an Australian officer would have been responsible for that action.”
– WNN Desk, South Asia
