A minister has informed parliament that the vessel lies outside Sri Lanka’s territorial waters but within its exclusive economic zone
On Thursday, a Sri Lankan minister told parliament that the country is working to ensure the safety of the crew aboard an Iranian ship near its territorial waters.
This development comes one day after a U.S. submarine torpedoed an Iranian frigate in the Indian Ocean, approximately 40 nautical miles from the city of Galle, resulting in 87 deaths.
“The ship is not in Sri Lankan waters,” Nalinda Jayatissa informed parliament. “It is located in the exclusive economic zone. The government and the defense ministry are aware of the ship. The government is involved in providing maximum intervention pertaining to the lives of those onboard.”
On Wednesday, a U.S. submarine sank the IRIS Dena, which was returning to Iran after participating in an International Fleet Review and multilateral naval drills in southeastern India.
U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth incorrectly stated on Wednesday that this was the “first sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since World War II.” At least four naval vessels have been sunk by torpedoes since World War II. For instance, during the 1982 Falklands War, Britain’s Royal Navy sank an Argentinian cruiser.
While the U.S. submarine made no effort to rescue the Iranian sailors, the Sri Lankan Navy succeeded in saving 32 members of the Dena’s crew.
The Iranian naval personnel rescued by the Sri Lankan Navy are receiving treatment at a hospital in Galle. According to local media reports, one person is in the critical care unit.
“We are doing our best as the government in this regard,” Jayatissa further noted. “We are acting based on international laws, peace, and security, which is our responsibility as the government.”
The island nation, which saw panic buying of petrol and diesel following the outbreak of the Middle East war, maintains warm relations with both Iran and Israel.
Its tourism industry, a major revenue source, has been impacted by flight cancellations from the Middle East. The sinking of the Iranian ship is also likely to affect this sector.