Sri Lanka has evacuated 208 crew members from an Iranian naval vessel and taken control of the ship for safety, a day after another Iranian frigate was reportedly sunk in an attack involving a United States submarine, resulting in multiple casualties.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake confirmed the development on Thursday, stating that Sri Lanka’s navy acted to protect lives amid rising tensions in the region.
In a televised address, the president emphasised that the country was not siding with any party in the conflict but was responding on humanitarian grounds.
“We are not taking sides in this conflict, but while maintaining our neutrality we are taking action to save lives,” Dissanayake said.
“No person should die in a war like this. Every life is equally precious.”
Iranian Vessel To Be Moved To Trincomalee Port
The vessel involved, the IRIS Bushehr, had reportedly developed a technical fault in one of its engines. Following the evacuation of its crew, the Sri Lanka Navy will temporarily operate the ship and move it to the northeastern port city of Trincomalee for safekeeping.
Officials said the Iranian crew and naval cadets will be brought ashore for their safety, as there are concerns that the vessel could become a potential target amid escalating hostilities.
Iranian Frigate IRIS Dena Sunk A Day Earlier
The evacuation came a day after the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena was reportedly struck and sunk by a US submarine, resulting in the deaths of dozens of sailors.
According to Mohammad Fathali, Iran’s ambassador to India, the frigate was unarmed at the time of the attack as it was returning from a naval exercise held in Visakhapatnam, India.
The statement was reported by the Press Trust of India.
Iran Condemns Attack, Warns US Of Consequences
Iran strongly condemned the strike, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accusing Washington of carrying out an “atrocity at sea.”
Posting on social media platform X, Araghchi said the attack occurred in international waters nearly 2,000 miles away from Iran’s shores.
“The US has perpetrated an atrocity at sea. Frigate Dena, a guest of India’s Navy, carrying almost 130 sailors, was struck in international waters without warning,” he wrote.
He also warned that the United States would “bitterly regret” setting such a precedent.
Rising Regional Tensions
The incident comes amid rapidly escalating tensions between Iran and the United States, with military activities and naval deployments increasing across several strategic maritime routes.
The rescue operation by Sri Lanka highlights the growing risk to civilian and naval vessels operating in international waters as the conflict spreads across the wider region.
Authorities in Sri Lanka said the immediate priority remains ensuring the safety of all sailors and preventing further casualties.