Sri Lanka Permits Second Iranian Ship Entry After Frigate Incident

Amidst escalating regional tensions, Sri Lanka has permitted a second Iranian ship to dock at its port, citing humanitarian reasons after an Iranian frigate was sunk in nearby waters.

Sri Lanka on Thursday allowed a second Iranian ship to dock at the eastern port of Trincomalee and evacuated all 208 personnel on board, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said, a day after another Iranian frigate was sunk near the island nation.

In a televised address, Dissanayake said the vessel, IRINS Bushehr, had sought permission to enter Sri Lankan waters, citing an engine failure.

"We wanted to remain neutral while dealing with a humanitarian response," he said, adding that Sri Lanka's role was limited to responding to a request from one party involved in the conflict.

"No one deserves to die. Every life is precious," the President said.

He also criticised opposition parties for attempting to politicise the situation.

"We won't succumb to pressure. We will maintain our neutrality," Dissanayake said.

According to the President, the ship had 208 personnel on board, comprising 53 officers, 84 cadets, 48 senior sailors and 23 seamen, all of whom were evacuated after the ship was allowed to dock.

Earlier in the day, government spokesman and minister Nalinda Jayathissa had told Parliament that a second Iranian ship was waiting in Sri Lanka's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) off the coast of Panadura after seeking emergency assistance.

He was responding to a query by opposition leader Sajith Premadasa.

Jayathissa had said the government was deliberating on the appropriate course of action while seeking to safeguard lives and maintain regional stability.

Sri Lanka's territorial waters extend 12 nautical miles from its coastline and belong fully to the country. Further, from 12 to 200 nautical miles is the EEZ, where international maritime laws apply, but Sri Lanka mainly has rights related to economic activities, not military operations, he explained.

The ship, according to Jayathissa, awaits in EEZ close to the maritime boundary but out of its territorial waters.

Aftermath of Frigate Sinking

The development comes a day after Sri Lanka on Wednesday said it had recovered 84 bodies of Iranian sailors killed after a US submarine attack sank the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena off Galle, the island's southern coastal town.

The injured crew members rescued from the ship are currently receiving treatment in hospitals in Galle.

"They have lacerations, one of them has a leg fracture and another needs hip treatment," a health official said on condition of anonymity.

The inquests on the 84 bodies of the perished Iranian sailors would be conducted on Thursday at the Karapitiya hospital in Galle, where the injured are receiving treatment.

The ship was returning home from Visakhapatnam in India after a naval fleet review exercise.

While the Sri Lankan Navy refused to give reasons as to what caused the vessel to make a distress plea, US War Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday that it was a US submarine that sank the Iranian warship in international waters.

On Wednesday, Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath had told Parliament that an emergency message was received by the Sri Lanka Navy and Coast Guard at 5:08 am regarding a sinking ship named IRIS Dena, located about 40 nautical miles off Galle.

Sri Lankan Navy spokesperson Commander Buddhika Sampath said, "We are only concerned about our obligation to rescue them as first responders under international maritime obligations."

Escalating Regional Conflict

The US and Israel have launched a massive joint attack on Iran since February 28. The war has extended to almost the entire Gulf region with Iran's retaliation.