Iranian diplomats pressed Sri Lankan authorities for information Wednesday after an Iranian naval vessel sank off Sri Lanka’s southern coast, Al Jazeera reported. The Sri Lankan government had not offered an explanation for the loss.
The vessel issued a distress signal about 40 km (25 miles) off Galle, south of Colombo, and rescue boats were dispatched to help survivors. Sources cited by Al Jazeera said there was no sign of another ship in the area. Iran’s ambassador, Alireza Delkhosh, said the military attache and a consular official visited hospitalized survivors to gather details about the incident.
A Sri Lankan navy spokesperson said bodies believed to be crew members have been recovered during the ongoing rescue effort but declined to give a death toll. The spokesperson added that 32 people were rescued and were receiving hospital treatment, and that no other ships were observed nearby.
Sri Lankan media later named the vessel as the Iranian naval ship IRIS Dena and reported that about 30 sailors had been rescued; the ship was said to have been carrying roughly 180 personnel. Sri Lanka’s Foreign Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath confirmed the rescued sailors were being taken to Karapitiya Hospital for care.
The sinking occurred amid heightened tensions in the wider West Asia conflict; Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has asserted control of the Strait of Hormuz and warned that ships there face risks from missiles or errant drones.
