Sri Lanka rescues 40 Iranian sailors, spokesman says

Sri Lanka coordinated the rescue of 40 Iranian sailors from multiple commercial ships in international waters off the coast of the country and supported their return to Iran, a spokesman for the island nation’s foreign ministry says.

The ministry received a request from the Iranian embassy via diplomatic channels to rescue the sailors, Thushara Rodrigo, a spokesman for the ministry, says, adding that they had been suffering unspecified medical emergencies.

The ministry does not give any further details of why they had to be rescued, but local media, including the Indian national newspaper The Hindu, report they were on board vessels which were US-sanctioned oil tankers.

Washington has imposed a blockade on Iranian shipping as part of its war with Iran, and in response to Iranian efforts to obstruct the Strait of Hormuz.

The sailors from 19 ships were brought ashore at Galle Harbour, about 126 kilometers (78 miles) from the commercial capital, Colombo, and were given medical treatment before returning to Iran early this morning, the spokesman adds.

Sri Lanka’s navy and coast guard typically provide support during humanitarian efforts, a government source with direct knowledge of the rescue tells Reuters.

Earlier this year, Sri Lanka rescued dozens of Iranian sailors on humanitarian grounds after the Iranian warship IRIS Dena was sunk by a torpedo from a US submarine on March 4.

The bodies of more than 80 sailors who died in the attack were flown back to Iran in mid-March. Thirty-two survivors of the sunken ship, as well as 208 crew members from another vessel, were returned to Iran in April.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.