More than 200 Iranian sailors who were stranded in Sri Lanka for over a month have finally returned home, following a US torpedo attack that sank one of their warships.
Sri Lanka's Deputy Defence Minister, Aruna Jayasekara, confirmed on Wednesday that 32 sailors from the Iris Dena and 206 from the Irins Bushehr had departed the country. The sailors were flown out on Tuesday night after being granted 30-day entry visas and housed in navy and air force camps.
The Iranian warship Iris Dena sank on March 4 approximately 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Sri Lanka's southern coastline after being struck by a torpedo from a US submarine. The attack resulted in the deaths of 104 sailors, with 84 bodies recovered and later repatriated to Iran via a chartered plane.
"Our position has been to safeguard our neutrality while demonstrating our humanitarian values," said Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in a statement regarding the situation.
On March 5, Sri Lanka took control of the Iranian naval vessel Irins Bushehr after it requested to dock at one of the country's ports due to an engine malfunction. The vessel remains anchored off Trincomalee in northeastern Sri Lanka, with about 15 Iranian sailors staying behind to operate it.
The sinking occurred in international waters just days into the ongoing US-Israeli conflict with Iran, marking a significant escalation. Iran has since launched retaliatory strikes across the Middle East targeting Gulf countries allied with the United States.
Video released by the US Department of Defense after the incident showed a ship being struck, causing its stern to rise before exploding. The Iris Dena had been returning from a military exercise hosted by India when it was attacked.
Sri Lanka, which has maintained a policy of non-alignment since gaining independence in 1948, has strong economic and diplomatic ties with both Iran and the United States. The country's intervention in this situation demonstrates its commitment to international conventions while protecting human lives.