Sri Lanka has evacuated 208 crew members from an Iranian navy vessel that made an emergency request to dock, a day after a US submarine strike sank another Iranian frigate, killing more than 80 people on board. The Iranian military support ship IRIS Bushehr was allowed to dock at the north-eastern port of Trincomalee after citing engine issues.
Sri Lanka's President Anura Kumara Dissanayake confirmed on Thursday that the country's navy would take over the vessel. The request came a day after a US torpedo destroyed IRIS Dena, an Iranian warship, on Tuesday night as it headed back home after a military training exercise in India. The attack killed at least 84 sailors.
Dissanayake said his government had discussed the docking of the second ship directly with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. 'We are not taking sides in this conflict, but while maintaining our neutrality we are taking action to save lives,' Dissanayake said in a televised statement. 'No person should die in a war like this. Every life is equally precious.'
The Iranian sailors and cadets on board the Bushehr were brought ashore and transferred to a naval base near Colombo. Dissanayake confirmed that Iran had sought permission last week for three vessels to enter Sri Lankan ports from 9 March for a four-day period, but deliberations were ongoing when the US struck Dena.
The targeting of Dena marked an escalation of the US-Israeli assault on Iran. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described Dena as a 'prize ship', adding: 'It was sunk by a torpedo, a quiet death.' Iran's Foreign Minister Araghchi said the US would 'bitterly regret' the attack, calling it 'an atrocity at sea'.
The Sri Lankan navy and coastguard responded to a distress call from Dena early Wednesday but found only an oil slick and survivors on life rafts. Rescue operations continued, with more bodies retrieved. Security remained tight at Galle hospital, where 32 rescued Iranians were treated for minor burns and fractures. The morgue, with capacity for 25 bodies, faced being overwhelmed, prompting authorities to set up refrigerated containers.
