More than 200 Iranian sailors stranded after US torpedo attack return home
More than 200 Iranian sailors stranded after US torpedo attack return home
Over 200 Iranian sailors, stranded in Sri Lanka following a US torpedo strike, have begun their journey home after a month-long delay. The crew of the warship Iris Dena and the vessel Irins Bushehr were granted 30-day entry visas by the Sri Lankan government and housed in military camps before being evacuated. Deputy Defence Minister Aruna Jayasekara announced that 32 sailors from the Iris Dena and 206 from the Irins Bushehr were flown out on Tuesday night.
The Iranian warship Iris Dena sank on 4 March near Sri Lanka’s southern coast after a torpedo attack by a US submarine. The incident killed 104 sailors and occurred in international waters just days into the escalating US-Israeli conflict with Iran. A video released by the US Department of Defense showed the ship’s stern lifting before an explosion. The remains of 84 victims were later repatriated via a plane chartered by Iran.
Sri Lanka’s Humanitarian Role
On March 5, Sri Lanka took control of the Irins Bushehr after it requested docking at a port following an engine failure. The country’s intervention aimed to protect human lives while maintaining neutrality. “Our position has been to safeguard our neutrality while demonstrating our humanitarian values,” President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated.
“[Sri Lanka] intervened in a way that demonstrated our commitment to international conventions, protecting the reputation and dignity of our country, and protecting human lives,” he added.
A Strategic Neutrality
Sri Lanka’s policy of non-alignment since independence in 1948 has allowed it to maintain diplomatic and economic ties with both Iran and the US. About 15 sailors from the Irins Bushehr will remain in the country to operate the ship, which is currently anchored off Trincomalee. The event marked a significant escalation of the regional conflict, prompting Iran to launch retaliatory strikes across the Middle East targeting US-aligned Gulf nations.
