US urges Sri Lanka not to repatriate Iranian crew from Sunken warship

WEB DESK: The United States has urged Sri Lanka not to repatriate survivors from a sunken Iranian warship or the crew of a second Iranian vessel currently in Sri Lankan custody, according to an internal diplomatic memorandum.

Diplomatic pressure amid escalating conflict

According to the Express Tribune, the diplomatic cable, sent by the US Department of State and dated 6 March, indicates that Jayne Howell, the US chargé d’affaires in Colombo, asked Sri Lankan authorities to refrain from returning the 32 survivors of the frigate IRIS Dena as well as the crew of the auxiliary vessel IRIS Booshehr.

The IRIS Dena was sunk by a torpedo fired from a US submarine in international waters approximately 19 nautical miles off the southern port city of Galle. The strike, confirmed by US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, resulted in dozens of fatalities. Sri Lankan naval forces recovered 87 bodies and rescued 32 sailors after receiving a distress signal.

The incident marks a significant escalation in US military operations amid the ongoing conflict with Iran. It is also one of the rare occasions since the Second World War that a submarine has sunk an enemy surface vessel.

US officials have reportedly emphasised the need to minimise any opportunity for Iran to use the detainees for propaganda purposes. The memorandum states explicitly that there are currently no plans to allow the crew to return to Iran while hostilities continue.

The IRIS Booshehr, which sought assistance following the sinking of the Dena, is being escorted to a harbour on Sri Lanka’s eastern coast, with its crew now under Sri Lankan supervision.

Sri Lankan authorities have described their actions as part of a humanitarian obligation, noting that naval forces responded immediately to rescue and recovery efforts in the Indian Ocean. The episode underscores the delicate position in which Colombo now finds itself, as the broader conflict involving Iran begins to extend into more distant maritime regions.