President Anura Kumar Dissanayake said the island nation is neutral in the US-Israel war on Tehran, but humanity must prevail.
A day after the US sank another Iranian ship off the coast of the island nation in an attack that killed at least 87 sailors, Sri Lanka said it had taken custody of a second Iranian ship and rescued its 208 crew members.
The Sri Lankan Navy has helped offload sailors from a second vessel, the IRIS Bushehr, which requested port access due to engine trouble, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake told reporters on Thursday.
Like the sunken IRIS Dena, the IRIS Bushehr also participated in a naval exercise organized by India in February.
Dissanayake said the Sri Lanka Navy has decided to formally take over the IRIS Bushehr and its crew after discussions with the relevant authorities, diplomatic missions and the ship’s captain.
Dissanayake asserted that Colombo is neutral in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, fueled by the US-Israeli attacks on Iran, as it will not allow any nation in the conflict to use its territory.
#Watch | Galle | A Sri Lankan Navy ship with rescued Iranian sailors docked at Galle Naval Base, injured sailors being taken away in ambulances Video Source: Sri Lanka Navy brochure via Presidential Media Division via Reuters pic.twitter.com/iQmixMAMAI
– ANI (@ANI) March 6, 2026
“As a nation and as a state, while maintaining neutrality, we place humanity above all else.” The president said. “We will never hesitate to protect humanity. If steps have to be taken to protect human lives, we will not hesitate to take them under any circumstances.”
Tehran has warned Washington “bitter regret” Torpedo attack on the IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in an interview with NBC that attacking an unarmed ship was tantamount to a war crime.
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