Colombo, March 6: Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has provided a significant update regarding the Iranian naval vessel IRIS Bushehr. The Sri Lankan government has assumed control of actions related to the Iranian ship and its crew under international regulations as a neutral country. Authorities have initiated the process of bringing the crew ashore and relocating the vessel away from the country’s main commercial port.
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 the southern coast of Sri Lanka 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 submarine attack.
During a press conference, President Dissanayake stated that the IRIS Bushehr contacted Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on March 4, requesting permission to enter a Sri Lankan port. He emphasized that Sri Lanka, which values humanitarian principles, is managing the situation in accordance with international obligations, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The president described the situation as unusual, given that the ship belongs to a country involved in the ongoing conflict. He noted 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 following established protocols.
Due to commercial sensitivities, the decision was made not to bring the vessel 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 mentioned 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 consisting of Sri Lankan Navy personnel and 42 crew members from the ship will transport the vessel to the Trincomalee area.
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