Sri Lanka Will Evacuate 208 Sailors from Iranian Naval Ship “IRINS Bushehr” Stranded Near Island Territorial Waters; Ship will be Docked at Trincomalee Port While Crew would be taken to Colombo Announces President Anura Kumara Dissanayake E.

Meera Srinivasan

Sri Lanka is evacuating 208 crew members from an Iranian naval ship — IRINS Bushehr — stranded near its territorial waters, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said on Thursday (March 5, 2026), a day after a U.S. submarine torpedoed another Iranian warship off Sri Lanka’s southern coast, killing at least 84 sailors and widening the war in West Asia into the Indian Ocean region.

The Sri Lankan Navy would take the crew to the Colombo Port, while the vessel will be diverted to the eastern Trincomalee harbour, President Dissanayake said in a televised address on Thursday (March 5, 2026) night. Sri Lanka’s response, he said, was on humanitarian grounds and focused on saving lives, after the vessel reported an engine fault. “No one deserves to die in this war. Every life is precious”, he said.

Emphasising that Sri Lanka will continue to pursue a neutral foreign policy, he said the country was “hoping for the best and preparing for the worst,” amid concerns over the possible impact of the war in West Asia on the global economy and people’s livelihoods.

After the U.S. and Israel launched an attack on Iran last week, Colombo called on “all concerned parties to exercise maximum restraint” and to de-escalate tensions. The government has so far not responded to the U.S. claim on Wednesday (March 4, 2026) that its submarine attacked the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena.

News of the second Iranian vessel near Sri Lankan waters drew attention during a parliamentary debate earlier on Thursday. Raising concern over regional security, Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa on Thursday (March 5, 2026) said the ship was reportedly positioned close to the Colombo Port.

In response, Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Nalinda Jayatissa told Parliament that the vessel was in the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) near the maritime boundary, and not in Sri Lanka’s territorial waters. Details of where the vessel was coming from or headed to, and why it was stranded, are awaited.

Sri Lankan authorities are yet to comment on whether the vessel sought a port call, as is speculated in some media reports.
The government is “fully aware” of the situation, he said, adding that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, also the Defence Minister, and the Security Council were working on resolving the matter, to minimise loss of life and safeguard regional peace, Mr. Jayatissa said.

Meanwhile, the 32 sailors who were rescued by the Sri Lankan Navy from IRIS Dena on Wednesday (March 4, 2026) continue to receive treatment at a public hospital in the southern Galle district, Sri Lankan officials said.
The distress call from the Iranian warship — returning after participating in the ‘International Fleet Review 2026’ held in Visakhapatanam last week — came early on Wednesday (March 4, 2026) , from around 40 nautical miles off the island’s southern coast. The Navy recovered 84 bodies and has since been continuing the search operation to locate dozens who are missing.

Courtesy:The Hindu