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In a significant humanitarian effort, Sri Lanka has commenced the process of disembarking 208 crew members from a second Iranian vessel, following a tragic incident in which 87 people lost their lives. This comes in the wake of a U.S. submarine strike on an Iranian warship in the same waters, which has left several individuals unaccounted for.
During a press conference in Colombo, Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake informed reporters, “After detailed discussions with all parties, Sri Lanka has decided to assist the Iranian vessel,” as reported by Reuters. This decision underscores Sri Lanka’s commitment to providing aid amidst the ongoing crisis.
The crew being evacuated near the port of Colombo includes a diverse group: 53 officials, 84 cadets, 48 senior sailors, and 23 sailors, according to President Dissanayake. This comprehensive operation highlights the collaborative effort to ensure the safety and welfare of those affected.
Meanwhile, the Iranian warship, IRIS Dena, which was sunk on Wednesday off the coast of Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean, remains a focal point of attention. Authorities have deployed two freezers to accommodate the 87 bodies that have been recovered from the sea, marking the somber aftermath of the incident.
The Iranian ship, the IRIS Dena, was sunk Wednesday off Sri Lanka’s coast in the Indian Ocean. Officials there have dispatched two freezers to store 87 bodies recovered at sea.
Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the ship was “effectively neutralized” in a Navy “fast attack” using a single Mark 48 torpedo. He added that the U.S. Navy achieved “immediate effect, sending the warship to the bottom of the sea.”
An injured Iranian sailor is moved on a stretcher at Galle National Hospital, where the sailors are receiving treatment, following a submarine attack on the Iranian military ship, IRIS Dena, off the coast of Sri Lanka, in Galle, Sri Lanka, March 5, 2026. (Reuters/Thilina Kaluthotage)
Iran contends the ship was sunk in international waters without warning.
“The U.S. will bitterly regret the precedent it has set,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said in a post on X.
Iran has asked Sri Lanka to assist with the repatriation of the bodies.
Sri Lankan officials said the Dena was on its way home after taking part in a naval exercise organized by India in the Bay of Bengal from Feb. 18 to 25.
Healthcare workers unload the bodies of Iranian sailors from a vehicle who died when their IRIS Dena warship sank outside Sri Lanka’s territorial waters, in Galle, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
Search and rescue operations would continue for an estimated 10 people who remain unaccounted for, they said.
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that US forces had sunk a second Iranian ship off the coast of Sri Lanka.
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