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Sri Lanka brings 40 sick Iranian sailors ashore for treatment

Published : Sunday, 25 October, 2026 at 6:39 PM

Observer Online Report

Sri Lanka has brought 40 Iranian sailors ashore for urgent medical treatment after several Iranian oil tankers became stranded near its waters amid US sanctions.

The sailors had requested emergency medical assistance while aboard Iranian tankers anchored just outside Sri Lankan territorial waters, according to the country’s foreign ministry.

The Sri Lankan government responded to the request and transferred the sailors to Galle Port, about 115 kilometres south of the capital, Colombo, on Saturday.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Thushara Rodrigo said the authorities had coordinated the transfer and fulfilled their humanitarian responsibility. The Iranian embassy will cover the costs of bringing the sailors ashore and providing medical treatment, he added.

According to the foreign ministry, around a dozen empty Iranian oil tankers are anchored near Galle Port.

In March, a US submarine drone sank the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena in nearby international waters, killing 104 sailors. Sri Lanka’s navy rescued 32 Iranian sailors from the vessel. Another Iranian naval vessel also sought safe harbour at Trincomalee Port in the island’s north-east.

US sanctions have left Iranian oil tankers and other commercial vessels facing uncertainty, with some unable to return to Iranian ports.

The Sri Lankan government has said the tankers have the right to move freely in international waters, as they are outside the country’s territorial jurisdiction.

However, a defence official said Sri Lanka had deployed surveillance aircraft and patrol boats to monitor vessels operating beyond the country’s 12-nautical-mile territorial waters.

Sri Lankan authorities said many Iranian commercial vessels had moved east towards the Strait of Malacca and Singapore because of US sanctions, while some remained near Sri Lankan waters.

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Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury

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