Sri Lanka has taken custody of an Iranian ship after it asked for help near its coast. The Sri Lankan navy on Friday brought 204 Iranian sailors from the IRIS Bushehr to a base near Colombo, where officials ran border checks and medical tests. They reported no health issues. Sri Lanka left about 15 sailors aboard to help its naval staff.
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Here's who is most at risk and symptoms to watch forThe World in PicturesEnergy shock fears rise as the Iran war chokes supplies to AsiaTop FDA drug official is trying to hire a friend who's seeking a bold new warning on antidepressantsTrump’s Medicaid work mandate could kick thousands of homeless Californians off coverageApple lanza 2 dispositivos de 599 dólares durante su"gran semana"Mobility exercises are an important part of fitness as we age. Here are some tipsPolygamous sect's sway has dwindled in twin towns on Arizona-Utah line. Residents enjoy new freedomsWorld NewsSri Lanka has released video showing its navy personnel rescuing Iranian sailors from a warship that was sunk by a torpedo from a U.S. submarine on Wednesday. Two Iranian sailors, carrying green bags, who were rescued from IRIS Dena warship by Sri Lanka’s navy are escorted to a Judicial Medical Officer from the National Hospital, in Galle, Sri Lanka, Thursday, March 5, 2026. Two Iranian sailors, center, who were rescued from IRIS Dena warship by Sri Lanka’s navy are escorted to a Judicial Medical Officer from the National Hospital, in Galle, Sri Lanka, Thursday, March 5, 2026. Iranian sailors, wearing t-shirts, who were rescued from IRIS Dena warship by Sri Lanka’s navy, are escorted to a Judicial Medical Officer from the National Hospital, in Galle, Sri Lanka, Thursday, March 5, 2026. Iranian warship IRIS Dena is seen in the Bay of Bengal during International Fleet Review held at Visakhapatnam, India, Feb. 18, 2026. Sri Lanka has released video showing its navy personnel rescuing Iranian sailors from a warship that was sunk by a torpedo from a U.S. submarine on Wednesday. Two Iranian sailors, carrying green bags, who were rescued from IRIS Dena warship by Sri Lanka’s navy are escorted to a Judicial Medical Officer from the National Hospital, in Galle, Sri Lanka, Thursday, March 5, 2026. Two Iranian sailors, carrying green bags, who were rescued from IRIS Dena warship by Sri Lanka’s navy are escorted to a Judicial Medical Officer from the National Hospital, in Galle, Sri Lanka, Thursday, March 5, 2026. Two Iranian sailors, center, who were rescued from IRIS Dena warship by Sri Lanka’s navy are escorted to a Judicial Medical Officer from the National Hospital, in Galle, Sri Lanka, Thursday, March 5, 2026. Two Iranian sailors, center, who were rescued from IRIS Dena warship by Sri Lanka’s navy are escorted to a Judicial Medical Officer from the National Hospital, in Galle, Sri Lanka, Thursday, March 5, 2026. Iranian sailors, wearing t-shirts, who were rescued from IRIS Dena warship by Sri Lanka’s navy, are escorted to a Judicial Medical Officer from the National Hospital, in Galle, Sri Lanka, Thursday, March 5, 2026. Iranian sailors, wearing t-shirts, who were rescued from IRIS Dena warship by Sri Lanka’s navy, are escorted to a Judicial Medical Officer from the National Hospital, in Galle, Sri Lanka, Thursday, March 5, 2026. Iranian warship IRIS Dena is seen in the Bay of Bengal during International Fleet Review held at Visakhapatnam, India, Feb. 18, 2026. Iranian warship IRIS Dena is seen in the Bay of Bengal during International Fleet Review held at Visakhapatnam, India, Feb. 18, 2026. COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka transferred more than 200 sailors from an Iranian naval vessel to shore Friday after it sought assistance while anchored outside the country’s waters, as tensions mounted in the Indian Ocean followingSri Lankan navy spokesperson Cmdr. Buddhika Sampath said 204 sailors of the IRIS Bushehr were brought to Welisara Naval Base near the capital, Colombo. They underwent border control procedures and medical tests, but none were found to have health issues. About 15 others have been left aboard the ship with Sri Lankan naval personnel for assistance because they had reported a fault with the ship. The Iranian sailors are interpreting operational instructions, manuals and logs for their Sri Lankan counterparts. He said the ship will be taken to the port of Trincomalee in eastern Sri Lanka, and remain in Sri Lankan custody until further notice.The Sri Lankan government took custody of the Bushehr after the U.S. sank an Iranian warship, the IRIS Dena, off Sri Lanka’s coast Wednesday. The strike marked one of the rare instances since World War II in which a submarine sank a surface warship, and highlighted the expanding scope of the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran.before heading into international waters on its way home. At least 74 countries had joined the events, according to India’s Defense Ministry, including the U.S. Navy, which conducted reconnaissance aircraft and maritime patrol drills. The Indian navy received a distress signal from the Dena but by the time it launched a search and rescue operation, the Sri Lankan navy had already begun its own rescue efforts, the ministry said.Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the Dena had been carrying “almost 130” crew. The normal crew size for a warship of that class is 140. Araghchi called the sinking an “atrocity at sea” and said the US would “bitterly regret” the attack.Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said late Thursday that authorities decided to take control of the IRIS Bushehr after discussions with Iranian officials and the ship’s captain, after one of its engines failed. “We have to understand that this is not an ordinary situation. It’s a request by a ship belonging to one party to enter into our port. We have to consider that according to the international treaties and conventions,” he told journalists Thursday night. Separately on Friday, he wrote on X: “No civilian should die in wars. Our approach is that every single life is as precious as our own.” The IRIS Bushehr had been described in previous Iranian media reports as a navy logistics ship equipped with a helicopter pad.“We have followed a very clear stance. We will not be biased to any state nor we will be submissive to any state,” he said.The broadening Middle East conflict is putting strategically located Sri Lanka in a delicate position as it tries to balance humanitarian obligations, international maritime law and its longstanding policy of non-alignment. H.M.G.S. Palihakkara, Sri Lanka’s retired former foreign secretary who also served as its permanent representative to the United Nations, said the country had acted responsibly and impartially. “There has been a distress call from the ship. So naturally Sri Lanka, as a party to the Law of Sea and The Hague Convention, had no option but to do what it did by mounting a humanitarian operation to provide assistance to save lives and provide medical care to the affected,” he said.“You could not have ignored the distress call. Even the attacking powers cannot leave shipwrecked sailors dying. That is the law,” Palihakkara said. Katsuya Yamamoto, director of the Strategy and Deterrence Program at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation in Tokyo, said Sri Lanka, which is not at war with either the U.S. or Iran, is considered a neutral state. As such, the Bushehr can enter a Sri Lankan port if granted permission by the government, he said. Yamamoto said that once the vessel is docked, it falls under Iranian jurisdiction, leaving Sri Lankan authorities without legal grounds to inspect it unless Colombo decides to side with the U.S. The U.N. resident coordinator in Sri Lanka, Marc-André Franche, welcomed Sri Lanka’s intervention, saying on X that it reflected its commitment to “multilateralism, maintaining neutrality, and underscoring its dedication to peace.”Australia’s government confirmed on Friday that three Australians were aboard the submarine that sank the IRIS Dena. The Australians were there as part of the trilateral U.S., Australian and British training program under the AUKUS security pact. The Australian government has maintained it was not warned that the U.S and Israel planned to attack Iran. Australia has not commented on the legality of the attack, but supports the objective of preventing Iran from gaining nuclear weapons. Neil James, executive director of the Australian Defense Association policy think tank, said it is “reasonably rare” for Australians embedded with another nation’s military to go to war against a country such as Iran that Australia wasn’t at war with.“The Australians wouldn’t have a job where they had to push the button on the torpedo because the captain of the boat gives the order and someone else, perhaps the weapons officer, presses the button but they’re not going to be Australian,” James said.Saaliq reported from New Delhi. Associated Press writers Krishan Francis in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Rod McGuirk in Melbourne, Australia and Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report.Saaliq covers news across India and the South Asia region for The Associated Press, often focusing on politics, democracy, conflict and religion. He is based in New Delhi.
Iran War Anura Kumara Dissanayake Abbas Araghchi Colombo General News Boat And Ship Accidents Australia Government International Agreements Asia Pacific Australia Politics Military And Defense Iran Government War And Unrest India Government United Nations World News Iran Marc Andr Franche Neil James
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