Sri Lanka Sends 40 Sick Iranian Sailors Home Amid US Blockade
Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told the paper that all 40 men were treated before flying out of the country on Saturday morning.
The Foreign Ministry said authorities received distress calls about the sailors’ health while their vessels sat roughly 24 nautical miles off Galle. The Iranian Embassy in Colombo organized the evacuation, and Sri Lankan officials managed the transfer through Galle port.
“We have coordinated the transfer and carried out our humanitarian obligations,” ministry spokesman Thushara Rodrigo said, according to the report.
The case highlights a wider standoff off the island’s southern coast. Close to a dozen empty Iranian oil tankers are reportedly anchored off Galle, unable to sail home because of a US blockade. Colombo says the ships lie in international waters, outside its 12-nautical-mile territorial limit, and has deployed reconnaissance aircraft and naval patrol boats to keep watch, the newspaper reported.
The waters off Sri Lanka were also the scene of a deadly incident in March. Iran’s army said a US attack off the island killed 104 crew members of the warship IRIS Dena and injured 32 others.
An Iranian state news agency reported that the vessel was struck on March 4 as it returned from the Milan Peace 2026 naval drills in India. Washington confirmed that a US submarine fired a torpedo at the ship.
Sri Lanka said it launched a joint rescue operation after the ship sent a distress call off Galle, and it took 32 wounded crew members to a local hospital.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
