Sri Lanka has coordinated the medical evacuation of 40 Iranian sailors from commercial vessels stranded in international waters off its southern coast, facilitating their treatment and repatriation.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Thushara Rodrigo said the sailors were brought ashore at Galle Harbour after the Iranian embassy requested assistance through diplomatic channels following distress calls over medical emergencies. They received treatment before departing for Iran early on Sunday.
The vessels, numbering around 19, have been anchored approximately 24 nautical miles offshore for months amid a US blockade affecting Iranian shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Local reports indicated shortages of food, water and fuel on some of the ships.
Rodrigo emphasised that the operation was humanitarian and that costs were borne by the Iranian embassy. Sri Lankan authorities noted the ships were outside territorial waters, where freedom of navigation applies.
This is not the first such incident. Earlier in the year, Sri Lanka assisted Iranian sailors after the warship IRIS Dena was sunk in a US attack, resulting in significant loss of life.
The situation underscores the broader impact of regional tensions on merchant shipping and the role of neighbouring states in upholding maritime humanitarian obligations.
