Sri Lanka has initiated the repatriation process for the remains of 84 Iranian naval personnel who perished when their frigate was torpedoed by a US submarine in international waters. The incident occurred on March 4th near Sri Lanka’s coastline, approximately nine days prior to the announcement.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Thushara Rodrigo confirmed to AFP that the transfer would be conducted via a chartered aircraft dispatched by Iran. The Iranian embassy subsequently verified these arrangements, according to Reuters.
The sinking of IRIS Dena represents a significant geographical expansion of Middle Eastern conflict into the Indian Ocean, drawing widespread condemnation as a blatant violation of international maritime law.
Meanwhile, 32 surviving sailors rescued by the Sri Lankan navy remain on the island nation. Rodrigo noted that while the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been consulted regarding wounded personnel, the organization is not involved in the repatriation process.
In a related development, a second Iranian warship, IRIS Bushehr, entered Sri Lankan territorial waters one day after the sinking. Colombo is currently providing safe harbor for the vessel and its 219 crew members.
Sri Lankan officials confirm no discussions have yet occurred regarding the repatriation of either the Bushehr’s crew or the surviving Dena sailors, though all personnel will be treated according to Colombo’s treaty obligations.
Of the 32 hospitalized survivors, 22 have been discharged and are currently housed at a southern air force base, separated from the Bushehr crew. Sri Lanka now hosts 251 Iranian sailors total.
The Bushehr remains under Sri Lankan naval custody while engineers attempt repairs on one of its reportedly disabled engines.
A third Iranian vessel has found safe harbor at Kochi port in southern India, with its 183 crew members receiving humanitarian protection from New Delhi. Both South Asian nations cite humanitarian concerns as their primary motivation, fearing additional American attacks against Iranian naval assets.