Sri Lanka has successfully repatriated 40 Iranian sailors who were brought ashore from stranded merchant vessels off the southern coast to receive medical treatment, according to reports. Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath confirmed that all 40 crew members were provided with medical attention within the country before they departed for Iran on Saturday morning.
The sailors had been stationed on merchant ships located approximately 24 nautical miles off the port city of Galle. According to the Foreign Ministry, maritime authorities were alerted to the situation after receiving emergency distress calls concerning the deteriorating medical conditions of the crew. The Iranian Embassy in Colombo organized the repatriation flights, while Sri Lankan authorities facilitated the safe transfer of the sailors through the port of Galle. Ministry spokesperson Thushara Rodrigo stated, "We have coordinated the transfer and carried out our humanitarian obligations."
Currently, nearly a dozen empty Iranian oil tankers remain anchored off the coast of Galle. These vessels are reportedly unable to complete their return voyage to Iran due to an ongoing United States naval blockade. Sri Lankan officials have clarified that these tankers are positioned in international waters, situated beyond the country's 12-nautical-mile territorial boundary. The government has confirmed that military reconnaissance aircraft and naval patrol vessels remain deployed to monitor the movements of the fleet.
This humanitarian evacuation follows a significant incident in March, when Iran's armed forces reported that 104 crew members of the Iranian warship IRIS Dena were killed and 32 others wounded during a US military strike in waters off Sri Lanka. According to the Iranian state news agency IRNA, the vessel was struck on 4 March while returning from the Milan Peace 2026 naval exercises in India. Washington later confirmed that an American submarine had launched a torpedo attack against the warship. At that time, Sri Lanka conducted a joint search-and-rescue mission following a distress signal off Galle, which resulted in the transfer of the 32 wounded Iranian servicemen to a local hospital.
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