US presses Sri Lanka not to repatriate Iranian sailors after warship sinking

The United States is pressing Sri Lanka not to repatriate Iranian sailors rescued after a US submarine sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean last week, according to an internal State Department cable seen by Reuters.

A US submarine torpedoed the Iranian frigate Dena about 19 nautical miles off Sri Lanka’s southern port city of Galle on Wednesday, killing dozens of sailors.

The strike marked the first time the United States has sunk a naval vessel in combat since World War Two and showed the widening geographic scope of the war involving Iran.

Sri Lankan authorities rescued 32 survivors from the Dena, with about 20 later moved to an air force camp after being treated in hospital, sources told Reuters.

At the same time, Sri Lanka has taken custody of the Iranian naval auxiliary vessel Bushehr, which had become stranded inside the country’s exclusive economic zone. Colombo began offloading its 208 crew members on Thursday.

According to the US cable, Washington asked Sri Lanka to ensure that neither the Bushehr crew nor the Dena survivors are sent back to Iran during the conflict.

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said his country had a “humanitarian responsibility” to assist the sailors, while US officials said the ultimate decision rests with Sri Lanka under its own laws and international obligations.