US pressuring Sri Lanka not to return the Iranian ship crew to Iran?

2026-03-07 - 05:58

The United States Embassy in Colombo is reportedly pressuring Sri Lankan authorities not to send the crew of an Iranian vessel back to Iran, according to the Reuters news agency. The report states that the United States has requested Sri Lanka not to repatriate the Iranian sailors who were rescued after the sinking of the IRIS Dena, a naval warship. Reuters said this citing sources within the US State Department. It is further reported that the United States has urged Sri Lanka to minimise any attempts by Iran to use the sailors currently being held in the country for propaganda purposes. On Wednesday (04), the IRIS Dena warship was sunk by a United States submarine in the Indian Ocean, about 19 nautical miles off Galle. A large number of sailors reportedly died in the incident, while 32 survivors were brought ashore with the assistance of the Sri Lanka Navy. They were subsequently admitted to hospital for further treatment.