NEW DELHI: A second Iranian vessel has been reported near Sri Lanka and has sought emergency permission to dock at Colombo on Thursday, a day after a US submarine torpedoed an Iranian Navy frigate in the Indian Ocean, killing close to 100 personnel onboard.
Sri Lanka’s cabinet spokesman and minister Nalinda Jayatissa told parliament on Thursday that another Iranian ship had been sighted near the island earlier in the day.
“We are making necessary interventions to resolve this issue, restrict the threat to lives and ensure regional security,” Jayatissa said. However, he did not provide further details about the ship or the number of people on board.
The vessel is reported to be a logistical pipe-laying ship rather than a warship. It is believed to be operating close to Sri Lanka’s western coast with more than 100 crew members onboard and has sought urgent permission to dock at the Port of Colombo for engine repairs.
Sri Lankan opposition MP Namal Rajapaksa said the ship had formally requested permission for an emergency port call but clearance had not yet been granted by the government. The Sri Lankan President also held consultations with senior cabinet members and defence officials on Thursday to assess the situation and decide on Colombo’s response.
The development follows the sinking of the Iranian Navy frigate IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean after it was struck by a torpedo fired by a US Navy nuclear-powered attack submarine early Wednesday.
The frigate had recently participated in the Indian Navy’s International Fleet Review and the multinational naval exercise Exercise Milan hosted in Visakhapatnam from 16 to 25 February before beginning its return voyage to Iran.
The attack took place south of Sri Lanka, close to India’s maritime neighbourhood, amid the escalating conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran.
Iran on Thursday strongly condemned the US for sinking its frigate saying the vessel, which had recently been a “guest of the Indian Navy” during naval events in Vizag was torpedoed without warning by a US submarine.
The cause of the sinking was confirmed by the US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday during a press briefing where he announced that an American submarine strike had sunk the Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean.
“Yesterday, in the Indian Ocean, an American submarine sank an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters. Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo, quiet death,” Hegseth said.
He also claimed it was the first sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since the Second World War. However, torpedos were in play during the Falklands War in 1982 and the 1971 India-Pakistan war.