According to Ettelaat's reporting from Sri Lanka's Daily Mirror, Sri Lanka evacuated and returned 40 Iranian sailors to their home country after coordinating necessary assistance and providing medical care and services. Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath confirmed to the Daily Mirror that the sailors were placed under medical supervision before being sent to Iran Saturday morning: "We rescued 40 sailors, provided them medical treatment, and sent them home this morning," he said.
According to Sri Lanka's Foreign Ministry, the sailors were aboard commercial vessels located approximately 24 nautical miles off the Galle coast and received assistance due to their health status. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tushara Rodrigo said, "Sri Lanka fulfilled its humanitarian obligations; we coordinated the transfer and completed our humanitarian responsibilities." According to Donya-e Eqtesad, Sri Lanka characterizes this step toward sailors stranded on US-sanctioned tankers as an official humanitarian operation.
According to Iran International's report from Sri Lankan officials, the sailors were evacuated to receive emergency medical care after at least 40 US-sanctioned tankers with stranded sailors required urgent medical assistance. Sri Lanka's Public Security Minister Ananda Vicepala announced that a one-month humanitarian visa would be granted to surviving Iranian sailor groups from ships damaged in recent strikes, allowing them to remain in Sri Lanka under humanitarian protection. Previously, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi thanked Sri Lanka for efforts in rescuing sailors after the Iranian corvette Dena sank, drawing attention to the importance of protecting Iranian ships and personnel.
How the Persian press covered it
| Source (orientation) | Headline / framing |
|---|---|
| Ettelaat (moderate-traditionalist) | Reported directly from the Daily Mirror source, emphasizing the sailors' return home and official statements. |
| Donya-e Eqtesad (technocratic) | Presented the event as "Sri Lanka's humanitarian aid," using a frame that questioned the operation's background. |
| Iran International (opposition, diaspora) | Shifted emphasis to the sailors' medical emergency and visa support, mentioning ships damaged in strikes. |
Context
Sri Lankan waters have become an anchorage point for dozens of sanctioned Iranian tankers unable to return home due to US naval blockade; international reporting has repeatedly documented food, fuel, and fresh water shortages aboard these vessels. Sri Lanka's government previously stated it had no information about Sri Lankan crew aboard these tankers and that the ships operated outside Sri Lankan territorial waters; Foreign Minister Herath said, "we have no control over these ships, and we did not provide them any facilities." In March, Sri Lanka's navy rescued 32 sailors from the Iranian corvette Dena, which was sunk by a US submarine; today's evacuation can be understood as a continuation of that operation. The reference to sailors "rescued from ships damaged in recent strikes" comes from Iran International and has not been independently verified; which ships or strikes are meant remains unclear.
Sri Lanka's approach to sanctioned tankers illustrates how smaller states attempt to balance US blockade pressures with humanitarian responsibilities: eleven tankers were reported observed off Sri Lankan waters in late August, yet Colombo took no formal seizure or intervention measures. The grant of one-month humanitarian visas suggests the government does not expect the sailors to return to their tankers in the near future, but instead anticipates a longer-term onshore solution; Sri Lankan authorities have not yet provided detailed clarification on this matter.
