Sri Lanka Takes Control of Iranian Ship After US Sinks Warship
Sri Lanka has intervened in a tense international maritime situation by taking formal control of the Iranian naval auxiliary vessel IRIS Bushehr, which was stranded in its Exclusive Economic Zone. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake confirmed the decision, stating that the Sri Lankan navy will assume command of the ship and safely evacuate its 208 crew members and cadets to shore. The vessel had reportedly suffered an engine fault and had requested permission to dock at a Sri Lankan port, a request that was ultimately granted for the port of Trincomalee, albeit amid significant international pressure. The incident occurs just one day after a severe escalation in regional waters, where a US submarine sank the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena. That attack resulted in a significant loss of life, with reports indicating over 87, and potentially more than 100, Iranian sailors killed. According to Iranian officials, the IRIS Dena was unarmed and returning from a naval exercise in India at the time of the attack, framing the event as a major provocation. Sri Lanka's actions are being framed as a humanitarian effort to de-escalate the situation. By taking control of the second ship and providing refuge to its crew, the island nation is navigating a delicate diplomatic path. The decision was reached after discussions with relevant authorities and diplomatic missions, highlighting the complex interplay of regional power dynamics and the challenges faced by smaller nations caught in broader international conflicts. The event has drawn global attention, with other nations like Spain also making naval deployments in response to the heightened tensions with Iran.
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Exclusive: Sri Lanka Rescues Hundreds of Iranians but Denies Second Ship Port Access – Sri Lanka Guardian
After the first Iranian ship, IRIS Dena, was attacked, killing over 100 sailors, a second vessel, reportedly IRINS Bushehr, stranded in Sri Lanka’s Exclusive Economic Zone is receiving ongoing humanitarian assistance while port access has been denied amid international pressure and parliamentary ...
COLOMBO (News1st); Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced that the government has decided to formally take charge of the Iranian vessel Iris Bushehr and its crew, following days of discussions with relevant authorities, diplomatic missions and the ship’s captain.
Sri Lanka has taken control of an Iranian naval vessel off its coast, a day after the US sank an Iranian warship in the same waters, in an attack that killed at least 87 people. The vessel, the Irins Bushehr, had requested on Wednesday to dock at one of Sri Lanka's ports as one of its engines ...
TRT World - Sri Lanka evacuates crew of second Iranian ship after deadly US submarine attack offshore
The Sri Lankan navy will crew the IRIS Bushehr, which had reported a fault with one of its engines, while the Iranian crew and cadets aboard will be transferred ashore for safety. IRIS Dena, the frigate that was attacked on Wednesday, was unarmed as it was returning from a naval exercise in the Indian port city of Visakhapatnam, Iran's ambassador to India Mohammad Fathali said, according to the Press Trust of India news ...
Sri Lanka is evacuating 208 crew members from an Iranian naval ship — IRINS Bushehr — stranded near its territorial waters, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said on Thursday (March 5, 2026), a day after a U.S.
Sri Lanka evacuates crew from Iranian navy vessel days after warship was destroyed by US | US-Israel war on Iran | The Guardian
Sri Lanka’s president, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, on Thursday confirmed that the country’s navy would take over Iranian military support ship IRIS Bushehr and allow it to dock at the north-eastern port of Trincomalee.
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