In a turn of events reflecting the tense maritime atmosphere, an Iranian vessel has transferred over 200 crew members to Sri Lanka after experiencing engine troubles at sea. This incident follows closely on the heels of a U.S. submarine’s recent torpedo attack that sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean.
The IRIS Bushehr, identified in past Iranian reports as a naval logistics ship, is currently en route to Colombo’s port. This information was confirmed by Commander Buddhika Sampath, spokesperson for the Sri Lankan Navy. Following their arrival, the sailors will undergo medical evaluations and immigration processes before being transported to a naval base in Welisara.
Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake emphasized the unusual nature of this situation in a statement on Thursday. “This is not a standard request,” he noted. “We must adhere to international treaties and conventions when a ship from one party seeks entry into our port.”
President Dissanayake further explained that the decision to manage the IRIS Bushehr was made after thorough consultations with Iranian authorities and the ship’s captain, prompted by the vessel’s engine failure. While most of the crew disembarks, some members will remain to assist the Sri Lankan navy in eventually guiding the ship to Trincomalee, located about 165 miles northeast of Colombo.
In an image from December 2012, Iranian naval personnel are seen aboard the IRIS Bushehr in Port Sudan. The ship, now facing mechanical issues since March 6, 2026, is headed towards Sri Lanka, as reported.
This development arises shortly after the U.S. military action that resulted in the sinking of the IRIS Dena, another Iranian warship, near Sri Lanka’s waters on Wednesday. The maritime incident underscores the heightened geopolitical tensions in the region.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said it was “the first sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since World War II.”
The Indian navy said Thursday that it had initiated search and rescue operations after receiving a distress signal from the Dena, deploying two aircraft along with a sailing training vessel. By the time the response was launched, the Sri Lankan navy had already started its own rescue efforts, it said.
The Sri Lankan navy rescued 32 sailors and recovered 87 bodies after the attack, according to The Associated Press.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Thursday that the U.S. will “bitterly regret” striking and sinking that ship.
“The U.S. has perpetrated an atrocity at sea, 2,000 miles away from Iran’s shores,” Araqchi wrote on X. “Frigate Dena, a guest of India’s Navy carrying almost 130 sailors, was struck in international waters without warning.”
A U.S. submarine sunk an Iranian warship in international waters in the Indian Ocean, War Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed Wednesday. (@DeptofWar/X)
“Mark my words: The U.S. will come to bitterly regret precedent it has set,” he added.
Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine told reporters at the Pentagon on Wednesday that the Iranian vessel was “effectively neutralized” in a Navy “fast attack” using a single Mark 48 torpedo.
Two Iranian sailors, center, who were rescued from the IRIS Dena warship by Sri Lanka’s navy, are seen in Galle, Sri Lanka, on Thursday, March 5, 2026. (Eranga Jayawardena/AP)
He added that the U.S. Navy achieved “immediate effect, sending the warship to the bottom of the sea.”
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