A second Iranian naval vessel is currently positioned just outside Sri Lanka’s territorial waters, seeking an urgent port call only 24 hours after a sister ship was destroyed by a U.S. submarine. Sri Lankan Media Minister Nalinda Jayatissa confirmed on Thursday that the government is deliberating on the request while prioritizing the safety of the over 100 crew members on board. This development follows the sinking of the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena on March 4, which was struck by a U.S. torpedo in international waters off the coast of Galle, resulting in at least 87 fatalities. The IRIS Dena was returning from a naval exercise in India when it was targeted in what U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described as the first such submarine attack on an enemy vessel since World War II. As regional tensions escalate during the ongoing conflict between the U.S., Israel, and Iran, Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is meeting with top officials to weigh the humanitarian need to protect the sailors against the significant geopolitical risks of granting entry. Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan Navy continues search operations for survivors from the previous day’s strike, and 32 rescued Iranian sailors remain under heavy security at a hospital in Galle.
