NEW DELHI: The Iranian warship IRIS Bushehr, sister ship of the frigate IRIS Dena, which was sunk in the Indian Ocean on Wednesday, is currently off Sri Lankan waters and has sought permission to dock. This has prompted Colombo to negotiate arrangements to bring part of the crew ashore while moving the vessel away from the vicinity of Colombo Port.
In a televised address to the nation, Sri Lankan President Dissanayake said on Thursday that Sri Lanka would permit the Sri Lankan Navy to transfer a portion of the crew ashore in line with the country’s obligations under international law.
He said the government did not want the vessel to enter Colombo Port, as its presence close to the island’s main commercial harbour could pose risks to shipping activity and the economy, including the possibility of higher insurance surcharges on vessels using the port.
Later, addressing the media, the President added that the personnel aboard the vessel would first be disembarked in Colombo to ensure that rescue operations and routine port activities continue without disruption.
After the disembarkation, the Sri Lankan Navy, along with a small number of senior Iranian officers, will sail the vessel to Trincomalee, where it will remain anchored pending a diplomatic resolution between Sri Lanka and Iran.
According to the Sri Lankan President, the vessel carries 208 personnel, including 53 Iranian Navy officers, 84 cadets, 48 senior sailors, and 23 sailors. Arrangements are being made for them to be brought ashore by the Sri Lanka Navy, which already has a vessel positioned in the area to facilitate the transfer.
The developments come a day after the Iranian Navy frigate IRIS Dena was sunk in the Indian Ocean early Wednesday after being struck by a torpedo fired by a U.S. Navy nuclear-powered attack submarine.
The frigate had recently participated in the Indian Navy’s International Fleet Review and the multinational naval exercise Exercise Milan held in Visakhapatnam from February 16 to 25, before beginning its return voyage to Iran.
Iran on Thursday condemned the United States for sinking its frigate, saying the vessel, which had recently been a “guest of the Indian Navy” during naval events in Visakhapatnam, was torpedoed without warning by an American submarine.
The strike was confirmed by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who said during a press briefing that an American submarine had sunk the Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean.
He also said it was the first sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since the Second World War. However, torpedoes were also used in naval combat during the 1982 Falklands War and the 1971 India–Pakistan War.