Colombo: A Sri Lankan court has ordered the return of the bodies of 84 Iranian sailors killed in a US attack on the Iranian warship IRIS Dena, despite objections from the United States. The attack reportedly took place about 40 nautical miles off the Sri Lankan coast, where a US submarine allegedly launched a torpedo strike on the Iranian naval vessel.
Attack after naval exercises
The warship IRIS Dena was returning on March 4 after participating in the International Fleet Review (IFR) in Visakhapatnam and the MILAN-2026 naval exercise.
Court rejects US request
US President Donald Trump had reportedly urged Sri Lanka not to hand over the bodies of the Iranian sailors to Iran. However, the Sri Lankan court rejected the request and ruled that the remains should be returned to the Iranian authorities. The bodies, which had been kept at the Galle National Hospital mortuary, were earlier ordered to be handed over to the Iranian embassy by a local court. Following the court ruling, the bodies were flown to Iran from Mattala International Airport on a special flight.
Survivors and diplomatic pressure
Around 32 survivors of the attack are currently receiving treatment in Sri Lankan hospitals. Meanwhile, 208 crew members of another Iranian vessel, IRIS Booshehr, which arrived in Sri Lanka due to technical issues, have been granted 30-day entry visas, according to reports. There are also reports that the United States pressured Sri Lanka not to allow the survivors to return to Iran. As both the US and Iran are key trade partners for Sri Lanka, the situation has created a significant diplomatic challenge for the island nation.
