By The Pulseline News Desk
Sri Lanka has coordinated the medical evacuation of 40 Iranian seafarers from merchant vessels stranded off its southern coast, with all crew members returning to Iran after receiving treatment, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
The seafarers were transferred ashore through the Port of Galle following distress calls concerning their medical conditions. Their vessels were anchored approximately 24 nautical miles off the Sri Lankan coast, outside the country’s territorial waters.
The operation was arranged and facilitated by the Iranian Embassy in Colombo, which also covered the associated costs, according to the Foreign Ministry.
Following medical treatment in Sri Lanka, all 40 seafarers departed for Iran on Sunday (25), the ministry has confirmed.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Thushara Rodrigo has told the media that Sri Lanka had coordinated the transfer to fulfil its humanitarian obligations.
The evacuation comes as Iranian merchant vessels, including oil tankers subject to United States (US) sanctions, remain stranded in international waters amid restrictions preventing them from returning to their home ports.
Officials have said that at least 40 Iranian sailors aboard the vessels sought urgent medical attention before being brought ashore over the weekend. The ships were anchored near Galle, approximately 115 kilometres south of Colombo.
Nearly a dozen empty Iranian oil tankers were reported to be anchored in the vicinity of Galle Harbour, although the vessels remained outside Sri Lanka’s 12-nautical-mile territorial sea.
Sri Lankan authorities maintain that ships positioned beyond the country’s territorial waters are in international waters, where freedom of navigation applies.
Defence officials have said reconnaissance aircraft and patrol boats had been deployed to monitor vessels operating in the area.
The situation highlights the wider maritime implications of escalating tensions involving Iran and the US, with sanctions and restrictions affecting the movement of Iranian merchant shipping. Authorities have reported that many Iranian vessels have moved east towards the Strait of Malacca and Singapore, while several remain near Sri Lankan waters.
Sri Lanka’s latest humanitarian operation also follows an earlier maritime emergency involving the Iranian Navy.
In March, a US submarine sank the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena in nearby international waters, killing 104 sailors. The Sri Lanka Navy rescued 32 Iranian sailors from the vessel, while another Iranian naval vessel sought safe harbour at Trincomalee on the island’s northeastern coast.
The incidents have placed Sri Lanka in a sensitive position as it responds to maritime emergencies involving Iranian vessels while maintaining its position on international navigation rights.
The evacuation of the 40 merchant seafarers underscores the country’s role in providing humanitarian assistance to distressed crews in waters surrounding the island, even as geopolitical tensions complicate commercial shipping routes across the Indian Ocean.
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