Sri Lanka rescues 40 Iranian sailors from international waters, facilitates return to Iran

Jerusalem Post/World NewsThe sailors from 19 ships were brought ashore at Galle Harbor, about 126 km from the commercial capital, Colombo, and were given medical treatment before returning to Iran early on Sunday morning.Follow us on GoogleA Sri Lanka Navy vessel approaches an Iranian Navy vessel IRIS Bushehr (422) during a rescue operation, a day after the crew of a distressed Iranian military ship, IRIS Dena, were assisted in waters south of Sri Lanka, off the coast of Colombo, Sri Lanka, March 5, 2026.(photo credit: Sri Lanka Navy/Handout via REUTERS)OCTOBER 25, 2026 20:16Sri Lanka coordinated the rescue of 40 Iranian sailors from multiple commercial ships in international waters off the coast of the country and supported their return to Iran, a spokesman for the island nation's foreign ministry said on Sunday.The ministry received a request from the Iranian embassy via diplomatic channels to rescue the sailors, Thushara Rodrigo, a spokesman for the ministry, said, adding they had been suffering unspecified medical emergencies.The ministry didn't give any further details of why they had to be rescued, but local media, including the Indian national newspaper The Hindu, reported they were on board vessels that were US-sanctioned oil tankers.Washington has imposed a blockade on Iranian shipping as part of its war on Iran.The sailors from 19 ships were brought ashore at Galle Harbor, about 126 km from the commercial capital, Colombo, and were given medical treatment before returning to Iran early on Sunday morning, the spokesman added.Sri Lanka Navy personnel assist Iranian sailors during a rescue operation after responding to a distress call from their vessel, the Iranian military ship, IRIS Dena, while at sea within Sri Lanka’s maritime search and rescue region, in Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka, March 4, 2026. (credit: Sri Lanka Navy/Handout via REUTERS)Sri Lankan navy provides humanitarian support to Iranian sailorsSri Lanka's navy and coastguard typically provide support during humanitarian efforts, a government source with direct knowledge of the rescue told Reuters.Earlier this year Sri Lanka rescued dozens of Iranian sailors on humanitarian grounds after the Iranian warship IRIS Dena was sunk by a torpedo from a US submarine on March 4.The bodies of more than 80 sailors who died in the attack were flown back to Iran in mid-March. Thirty-two survivors of the sunken ship, as well as 208 crew members from another vessel, were returned to Iran in April.Follow us on Google