by Our Correspondent in Colombo
Sri Lanka is in the process of rescuing hundreds of Iranian nationals stranded at sea from a second vessel after the first Iranian ship, IRIS Dena, was attacked, reportedly killing over 100 sailors. The second vessel, reportedly IRINS Booshehr, has been stranded in Sri Lanka’s Exclusive Economic Zone since yesterday, requesting urgent assistance and permission to dock. While humanitarian aid is underway, reliable sources in the Sri Lankan security establishment, speaking under the condition of anonymity, said that Sri Lanka has denied granting port access to the ship, raising questions about foreign pressure and national security.
Anonymous defense sources in Colombo told the Sri Lanka Guardian that both vessels urgently requested help and docking permission. While the government claims it launched unconditional humanitarian assistance once aware of the situation, some reports suggest that powerful foreign countries pressured Sri Lanka not to accept the second ship at Colombo, leaving it stranded in mid-sea.
The issue was raised in Parliament today, with opposition members accusing the government of failing to uphold international law within Sri Lanka’s territorial waters. Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa demanded a clear statement identifying the attackers of IRIS Dena, clarifying whether a torpedo was involved, and condemning the incident. He also highlighted the second ship’s arrival near the Port of Colombo as a renewed security concern.
Opposition MP Dayasiri Jayasekara criticized the government for neglecting its responsibility to maintain peace in the Indian Ocean region. MP Mujibur Rahman alleged that the Sri Lanka Navy vessel SLNS Nandimithra participated in a multinational exercise led by India with 74 countries, 42 ships, and 29 aircraft. Rahman further stated that the second Iranian ship was forced to wait 11 hours near the Port of Galle before permission was granted to enter, questioning why Sri Lanka, a signatory to Indian Ocean peace conventions, had denied port access. He also noted that the situation had been reported to the United States military.
During the debate, government MP Chamara Sampath Dasanayake strongly criticized India’s role, saying India had “betrayed Iran” and abandoned its responsibility to protect a guest country, accusing it of contributing to circumstances that left the second ship waiting in international waters near Galle and describing the actions as “a pure betrayal” that endangered the crew.
Related Story: Government Confirms Second Iranian Vessel Near Sri Lanka
Meanwhile, Iran’s Ambassador to India, Dr. Mohammad Fathali, stated: “Iran has shown both sincerity and clear hostility. They may have initiated hostilities, but the duration of the war is under our control.”
He added, “We do not seek war. They started it. We have repeatedly emphasized that the duration and conclusion of this conflict are in our hands. This is very important. We do not attack our neighbors; they provided bases. We maintain good relations with our neighbors and have informed them that our strikes targeted only United States bases. These bases were used to attack my elementary schools, endangering 160 students. This is a critical point — our attacks were solely on the bases.”
