Sri Lanka to Treat Iranian Sailors Rescued from Torpedoed Frigate, Citing International Law

TDT | Colombo

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Sri Lanka will provide care to Iranian sailors rescued from a torpedoed frigate in accordance with international law, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said Saturday, amid reports that the United States was pressuring Colombo not to repatriate them.

Speaking at a conference in New Delhi, Herath confirmed that Sri Lanka is looking after 32 sailors from the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena, which was sunk by a U.S. submarine on Wednesday off Sri Lanka’s southern coast. The Sri Lankan navy rescued the survivors and recovered 84 bodies from the incident.

When asked whether Colombo faced U.S. pressure regarding the Iranians’ repatriation, Herath did not respond directly, but emphasized: “We have taken all the steps according to international laws.”

Sri Lanka also provided safe harbor to a second Iranian warship, the IRIS Bushehr, evacuating its 219 crew members the day after the Dena was torpedoed. The ship was escorted to Trincomalee on Sri Lanka’s northeast coast after reporting engine problems.

Meanwhile, India allowed a third Iranian warship, the IRIS Lavan, to dock at the port of Kochi on humanitarian grounds following operational issues. Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishkar noted that many aboard were young cadets who were placed in nearby facilities, adding, “I think it was the humane thing to do and we were guided by that principle.”

All three Iranian vessels had participated in a multi-national fleet review organized by India shortly before the outbreak of the Middle East conflict last Saturday.

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake reiterated that Colombo would adhere to the Hague Convention, which obligates neutral states to hold combatants of warring nations until hostilities cease. A senior government official said the country is consulting with the International Committee of the Red Cross to manage the care and eventual repatriation of the survivors.