FINANCIAL CHRONICLE – Sri Lanka is currently evaluating Iran’s request to dock three ships, including the IRIS Dena, which was sunk by a U.S. submarine, at one of its ports since February 26, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated.
At least 90 bodies have been recovered from the IRIS Dena, which sank off the southern coast of Sri Lanka near Galle in the early hours of Thursday, March 4. Another 32 individuals were rescued from the vessel, which went down approximately 40 kilometers from Galle.
On Thursday, March 5, Sri Lankan authorities detained a second Iranian ship with 208 people on board, complying with all international conventions, the President indicated.
In a televised media briefing for a select group of journalists, President Dissanayake revealed that Iran had requested, on February 26, permission from Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry for three naval vessels to dock in the country’s ports between March 9 and 13.
“This was purportedly to enhance cooperation. However, upon review, it became apparent that these vessels were stationed near, but outside, our national maritime zone,” the President explained.
“As is widely understood, a cooperation visit requires extensive formal procedures and does not occur in such a manner. Therefore, we were in the process of evaluating those procedures,” he added.
The IRIS Dena was sunk on March 4 while Sri Lanka was still assessing Iran’s request. The vessel was present in the Indian Ocean for the International Fleet Review (IFR 2026) and MILAN 2026 exercises in Visakhapatnam, hosted by the Indian Navy from February 17-25.
The rationale behind the IRIS Dena and the other two ships seeking entry into a Sri Lankan port on February 26, just two days before U.S. and Israeli forces bombed Tehran and killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, remains unclear.
IRIS Dena was not granted entry into Sri Lankan waters, though sources close to the Iranian Embassy and the Sri Lankan government suggested that the visit followed a meeting between Sri Lankan delegates and Iranian naval officers in India during IFR 2026.
However, President Dissanayake emphasized that Sri Lanka’s stance is to prevent its land territory, maritime zones, or airspace from being used in a biased manner by any nation involved in a conflict, or in a way that harms another nation.
Second Ship
The President detailed that on February 27, Sri Lanka was informed of an injured sailor aboard the second vessel, IRIS Bushehr, prompting a request to bring the sailor and an accompanying officer ashore for humanitarian reasons.
“Our Navy and Air Force facilitated the transfer of the injured sailor and the officer to land where they received necessary medical treatment,” he stated.
On March 4, IRIS Bushehr informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of its request to enter a Sri Lankan port either on March 4 or 5.
“While deliberating our course of action, our Minister of Foreign Affairs engaged in discussions with the Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Iranian Embassy maintained ongoing communication with our Ministry,” he remarked.
“They later informed us of engine damage on their vessel, prompting further discussions on our response,” he added.
Given the international conventions and the current geopolitical context involving Iran, the request was not treated lightly. An agreement was reached to evacuate the crew and station the vessel at the Eastern port of Trincomalee.
“Although the vessel was near the Port of Colombo, our main commercial hub, keeping such a vessel there posed risks to our maritime industry,” the President explained.
“Thus, we opted to relocate the vessel to Trincomalee. Before this, we decided to bring the crew ashore at the Port of Colombo. A rescue operation is currently underway, involving one of our naval vessels,” he continued.
“Arrangements have been made to bring 208 individuals ashore, comprising 53 officers, 84 cadet officers, 48 senior sailors, and 23 sailors. Transfer operations are ongoing to bring them to the Port of Colombo,” he said.
“The vessel will be moved to Trincomalee only after ensuring the crew’s safe landing. Our approach remains unbiased towards any nation, and we do not capitulate to any state,” he asserted.
Third Ship
President Dissanayake did not address the status or condition of the third Iranian ship. Although Sri Lanka has previously entertained port calls from foreign vessels, the recent Iranian request is viewed as a potential security threat amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
Analysts caution that the third ship could face similar threats from the U.S. as encountered by IRIS Dena. Commissioned in June 2021, the IRIS Dena was the fourth and most technologically advanced of Iran’s domestically produced Moudge-class frigates. It was often termed a “destroyer” by Iranian officials due to its multi-mission capabilities. The 1,500-ton vessel featured a fully digital combat system, measuring 95 meters in length, and was powered by indigenous Bonyan-4 diesel engines, generating 20,000 horsepower for speeds up to 30 knots, with a bow thruster for precise coastal navigation.
The vessel’s activities in the Indian Ocean after departing India post-IFS 2026 on February 25 remain uncertain.
(Colombo/March 05/2026)
