Tensions linked to the ongoing conflict with Iran have expanded into the Indian Ocean after a dramatic naval incident involving the United States and Sri Lanka. Washington has asked Sri Lanka not to send Iranian sailors back to their country.
The request comes after a US submarine sank the Iranian warship IRIS Dena earlier this week. The attack happened about 19 nautical miles from the southern Sri Lankan port city of Galle in the Indian Ocean. Dozens of Iranian sailors were reportedly killed in the strike, while 32 survivors were rescued.
The torpedo strike marked a rare military action at sea. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly described the operation as a “quiet death.” Analysts say it is the first time since World War II that the United States has sunk an enemy warship in this manner.
At the same time, Sri Lanka also took control of another Iranian naval vessel, the auxiliary ship IRIS Booshehr. The ship had entered Sri Lanka’s exclusive economic zone and became stranded near the island nation. Sri Lankan authorities began removing its crew members on Thursday, bringing a total of 208 sailors ashore.
Sri Lanka’s president, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, said the country accepted the crew for humanitarian reasons. He explained that Sri Lanka had a responsibility to provide medical care and basic support to the sailors during the crisis.
However, a US diplomatic message dated March 6 reportedly asked Sri Lanka not to return the sailors to Iran.
The message suggested that Sri Lankan authorities should limit the possibility of Iran using the captured sailors for propaganda purposes. It also stated that both the crew of the Booshehr and the survivors of the Dena should not be immediately repatriated.
The Booshehr will remain in Sri Lankan custody while the conflict continues. Authorities have begun escorting the vessel to a harbor on the eastern coast of Sri Lanka. Many of its crew members are also being moved to a naval facility near Colombo.
Meanwhile, Iran has requested help to return the bodies of sailors who died in the Dena strike. According to Sri Lanka’s Deputy Minister for Health and Mass Media, Hansaka Wijemuni, discussions about the process are still ongoing.
The incident highlights how the Iran conflict is spreading beyond the Middle East, drawing new countries and regions into a rapidly growing international crisis.