The Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs has coordinated the medical treatment and repatriation of 40 Iranian sailors who fell ill in the international waters near the southeastern coast. Ministry spokesman Tushar Rodrigo informed BBC Sinhala that Sri Lankan authorities received a distress call from Iranian ships indicating an urgent need for medical assistance. The rescue operation was planned by the Iranian embassy in Colombo.
Many Iranian vessels have been stranded at sea due to the US naval blockade. Sri Lanka has declared neutrality in the ongoing conflict but has provided assistance to Iranian sailors under international law on several occasions. According to a BBC Sinhala report last month, 21 Iranian ships were in international waters near Sri Lanka. The 40 sick sailors worked on various ships, though Rodrigo did not specify which vessels they were on.
The ill sailors were first brought to Sri Lankan territory, received medical treatment in Colombo, and then were flown back to Iran on Saturday night. Local shipping companies and other agencies participated in the rescue effort. Rodrigo emphasized that Sri Lanka provided the necessary facilities on humanitarian grounds and under international law due to the medical emergency. He stated, “This does not mean we are supporting those ships. Responding to a distress call is an internationally accepted tradition.”
