The United States of course respects and recognizes Sri Lanka’s sovereignty in the handling of this situation, a U.S. State Department spokesperson said regarding the incident involving the Iranian warships IRIS Dena and IRIS Bushehr.
The spokesperson said the final decision regarding the vessel, its crew and the Iranian sailors rescued at sea rests solely with Sri Lanka, in accordance with the country’s domestic laws and international legal obligations.
The remarks came after Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told a conference in New Delhi that Sri Lanka was caring for 32 sailors rescued from the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena under the country’s international treaty obligations.
The Iranian frigate was sunk by a U.S. submarine on Wednesday just off Sri Lanka’s southern coast.
Sri Lanka Navy launched a rescue operation, saving survivors and later recovering 84 bodies.
Sri Lanka also provided safe haven to a second Iranian warship, IRIS Bushehr, and evacuated its 219 crew members a day after the Dena was torpedoed. The vessel was later taken to Trincomalee after reporting engine trouble.
Reuters reported that Washington had leaned on Sri Lanka not to repatriate the Iranian sailors, citing an internal U.S. State Department cable.
Responding to the report, the State Department spokesperson said the disposition of the IRIS Bushehr crew and the rescued Iranian sailors was a matter for Sri Lanka. (Newswire)
