Sri Lanka Seizes Second Iranian Vessel After US Sub Strike
Sri Lanka seizes a second Iranian vessel after a deadly US submarine strike. The Iranian naval vessel crisis raises tensions in the Indian Ocean.
Sri Lanka has taken control of an Iranian naval vessel off its coast. The incident occurred a day after the US sank an Iranian warship in the same waters, killing at least 87 people.
The vessel, the Irins Bushehr, requested to dock at a Sri Lankan port on Wednesday after one of its engines malfunctioned. Around 208 crew members have been evacuated.
Sri Lanka allowed it to dock at its northeastern port after hours of negotiations, and its president said they would "never hesitate to defend humanity."
The South Asian country has stressed its neutrality, saying it will not take sides as it finds itself caught in the middle of the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran.
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President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said in a statement, "Our approach has been to maintain our neutrality and demonstrate our humanitarian values." He said on Thursday, "[Sri Lanka] intervened in a manner that demonstrates our commitment to international agreements, the defense of our country's honor and dignity, and the protection of human life."
His statement came after a US submarine fired a torpedo at the Iris Dena on Wednesday, about 44 nautical miles (81 km) off Sri Lanka's southern coast.
The frigate, carrying approximately 180 crew members, was part of a multinational naval exercise in the Bay of Bengal. Sri Lanka is located in the Indian Ocean, southeast of India and southwest of the Bay of Bengal.
The sinking of the Iris Dena has escalated the growing conflict in the Middle East.
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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called it an "atrocity at sea" and said the US would "deeply regret" the attack.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described it as an example of US military power, claiming it was "the first torpedo sinking of an enemy ship since World War II."
While this is the first time a US submarine has sunk an enemy vessel in this manner since 1945, both the UK and Pakistan have used torpedoes to sink ships since then.
The Iris Dena was one of approximately 20 Iranian Navy ships destroyed following the joint Israeli and US attacks on Iran over the weekend.
And on Thursday, the Iris Bushehr requested Sri Lanka's permission to dock, citing engine problems.
Dissanayake eventually allowed it to dock at Trincomalee Port, even though the ship was near the country's main commercial port in Colombo. He said that docking in Colombo risked a "negative impact" on the country's maritime industry.
The crew members of the Iris Bushehr, including 53 officers, 84 cadet officers, 48 senior sailors, and 23 sailors, will be brought to Colombo.
As of Thursday, the Sri Lankan Navy is also searching for the crew members of the Iris Dena who are still missing in its waters.
The 32 survivors of the Iris Dena are now being treated for serious injuries at a hospital in Galle.
Sri Lanka has maintained a long-standing policy of non-alignment since independence in 1948.
It has strong economic and diplomatic relations with both Iran and the US.
Sri Lanka purchased $250 million worth of crude oil from Iran and repays this amount through tea exports each month. The US, on the other hand, is a major destination for Sri Lankan textiles and apparel.
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