SL balances humanitarian obligations and mounting geopolitical pressures
… ships declare ‘state of emergency’ by Shamindra Ferdinando Forty Iranian sailors from Iranian oil tankers stranded outside Sri Lanka’s territorial waters have been repatriated. Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath confirmed the evacuation of the Iranian sailors by the Navy and their repatriation to Iran on Sunday. Responding to The Island query, Minister Herath said that […]
Sri Lanka has successfully repatriated forty Iranian sailors stranded outside the country's territorial waters. The government, following a request from Iran, took action to ensure the sailors' return, despite accusations that refusing assistance violated international laws. About 21 Iranian vessels have been stranded off Sri Lanka's southern coast for several months due to the US blockade on Iranian ports.
The crew members on these vessels are believed to be from India and Bangladesh. Sri Lanka's humanitarian intervention was made with the understanding of the US. The embassy of Iran in Colombo confirmed that the sailors were taken to hospital for medical treatment due to health issues, aligning with international conventions on the rescue of persons aboard ships.
Written by urgent.news from The Island Sri Lanka's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
