Colombo, March 6: Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has provided a significant update regarding Iran’s second naval ship, the IRIS Bushehr. He announced that the Sri Lankan government has assumed control of the Iranian vessel and its crew under international regulations, acting as a neutral country. Authorities have initiated the process of bringing the crew ashore and relocating the ship away from the country’s main commercial port.
The IRIS Bushehr is an Iranian naval ship that participated in the International Fleet Review 2026, a cooperative maritime exercise held in India alongside the IRIS Dena. According to the Xinhua News Agency, the IRIS Dena sank off Sri Lanka’s southern coast following an attack by a U.S. submarine on Wednesday.
This collaborative maritime exercise included the IRIS Dena warship. Reports indicate that the IRIS Dena sank near Sri Lanka’s southern coast after the U.S. submarine attack.
During a press conference, President Dissanayake revealed that the IRIS Bushehr contacted Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry on March 4, requesting permission to enter a port in Sri Lanka. He emphasized that Sri Lanka, valuing humanity, is managing this situation in accordance with international obligations, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The president described this as an unusual situation, given that the ship belongs to a country involved in the ongoing conflict. He stated that officials have been in continuous discussions with the ship’s captain, crew, and the Iranian embassy. It was decided to take the ship and its personnel under Sri Lankan supervision.
Considering commercial sensitivities, it was decided not to bring the ship to Colombo Port. Instead, the Sri Lankan Navy will send the crew to Colombo, and the ship will be relocated to the Trincomalee port area in the east of the country.
Dissanayake noted that the team prepared for the evacuation includes 53 officers, 84 cadet officers, 48 senior sailors, and 21 sailors. After medical checks and registration, they will be housed at the Welisara Navy Camp in Sri Lanka’s Western Province.
He further stated that after the evacuation, a joint team of Sri Lankan Navy personnel and 42 members of the ship’s crew will transport the vessel to the Trincomalee area.
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