US Israel Iran War Latest Update: The United States has requested Sri Lanka not to send back Iranian sailors who survived a recent naval strike in the Indian Ocean. Washington has also asked Colombo to keep the crew members of another Iranian vessel that is currently under Sri Lankan custody.
The request was mentioned in an internal diplomatic cable from the US Department of State. The message highlights growing tensions following a US naval operation that sank an Iranian warship earlier this week.
US Submarine Attack on IRIS Dena Near Sri Lanka
A US submarine attacked the Iranian naval vessel IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean on Wednesday. The strike happened around 19 nautical miles from Galle, a major port city in southern Sri Lanka.
The torpedo strike killed several Iranian sailors and severely damaged the ship. Military analysts believe the incident represents a significant escalation in the United States’ ongoing military confrontation with Iran’s navy.
According to the diplomatic cable dated March 6, Jayne Howell, the charge d’affaires at the US embassy in Colombo, asked Sri Lankan officials not to repatriate the Iranian sailors.
Her request applied to both the crew of the Iranian support ship IRIS Booshehr and the 32 sailors who survived the sinking of IRIS Dena.
US Worried About Propaganda and Possible Defections
The cable explained that the United States is concerned about how Iran might use the detained sailors. It stated that “Sri Lankan authorities should minimise Iranian attempts to use the detainees for propaganda.”
The message also said Howell informed Israel’s ambassador responsible for India and Sri Lanka that there were currently no plans to send the Iranian sailors back to Iran.
Additionally, the US diplomat asked Sri Lankan authorities whether they had spoken with the detained sailors to encourage “defection.”
Iran Requests Help to Return Bodies of Sailors
At the same time, Iran has approached Sri Lanka for assistance in bringing back the bodies of sailors who died in the attack.
Sri Lanka’s deputy minister for health and mass media, Hansaka Wijemuni, confirmed that Iran had requested help in repatriating the bodies of those who were aboard IRIS Dena when it was struck.
However, officials have not yet announced any timeline for when the bodies may be returned to Iran.
Before the attack, the warship had taken part in naval exercises organised by India in the Bay of Bengal last month. The vessel was travelling back toward Iran when the US submarine targeted it.
A US official, speaking anonymously, said the Iranian warship was armed at the time of the strike. The official also confirmed that the submarine launched the torpedo without issuing any warning.
Sri Lanka Provides Shelter to Crew of Another Iranian Ship
After the attack, Sri Lankan authorities also dealt with another Iranian vessel, the naval auxiliary ship IRIS Booshehr. The ship had become stranded within Sri Lanka’s exclusive economic zone, although it remained outside the country’s territorial waters.
On Thursday, Sri Lankan authorities transferred 208 crew members from the ship to land.
Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said the country had a “humanitarian responsibility” to help the sailors by providing shelter and necessary assistance.
Rare Naval Strike by the US
The torpedo attack that sank IRIS Dena has drawn global attention. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth described the strike as a “quiet death.”
Military experts say such an operation is extremely unusual. It marks the first time since World War II that the United States has used a submarine to sink a surface warship in this manner.
The incident also signals that the confrontation with Iran is expanding beyond the Middle East and reaching new areas of the Indian Ocean.
According to the US diplomatic cable, the Iranian vessel IRIS Booshehr will remain under Sri Lankan custody while the conflict continues.
On Friday, Sri Lankan authorities escorted the ship to a harbour on the eastern side of the country. Most of the sailors were later moved to a naval facility located near Colombo.