President Anura Kumara Dissanayake informed Parliament today that Sri Lanka received simultaneous requests from Iran and the United States to dock naval vessels in the country, but permission was refused for both in order to maintain neutrality amid the ongoing Middle East conflict.

He explained that three Iranian Navy ships had first sought approval on February 26 for a goodwill visit from March 9–13. Later that same evening, the U.S. requested clearance for two warships to visit Mattala. 

“If permission was granted, then we would be blamed for picking one over another. Granting permission would bring the Middle East war to Mattala and Colombo. We avoided that,” the President said.

Addressing opposition claims that the government took 11 hours to grant permission for the Iranian vessels, he clarified that the timeline was linked to the original request date and subsequent developments.

President Dissanayake revealed that after the attack on the first Iranian ship, a second vessel requested entry to Colombo due to engine trouble. 

“We are only able to provide assistance for 24‑hours per regulations. Beyond that, the vessel would have come fully under our responsibility. Once that happened, we instructed the crew to disembark, though they insisted on remaining onboard,” he said. 

The President noted that 206 sailors were brought to a Navy camp, adding that the bodies of deceased soldiers from the first Iranian ship were preserved, and rescued personnel were treated.

He stressed that Sri Lanka’s refusal to allow either side’s warships was a deliberate decision to prevent the conflict from spilling into the country’s ports. (Newswire)

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The commander of the Iranian Navy, Rear Admiral Shahram Irani, issued a warning to the United States and Israel on Wednesday, vowing that the enemy will face deadly retaliation for the massacre of Iranian Navy officers.

“We will not forget the enemy’s crime, and we will exact retribution for the blood of our martyrs,” Rear Admiral Irani said, referring to the martyrs of the Dena destroyer.

“The enemy should know that we will punish it with deadly strikes from where it least expects.”

On March 4, the Iranian Navy’s Dena destroyer was attacked by a US submarine-launched MK-48 torpedo approximately 40 nautical miles off the coast of Galle, Sri Lanka, while it was returning from a multinational naval exercise in India.

A total of 104 crew members were martyred in the terrorist attack, with 87 bodies recovered and 32 sailors rescued, according to reports citing officials.

The IRIS Dena had been officially invited by the Indian Navy to participate in the joint exercise before being targeted in international waters by the US Navy in the middle of the war against the Iranian nation.

US War Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the strike, which drew global outrage and condemnation, describing it as the first sinking of a ship by torpedo since World War II.

Rear Admiral Irani said the nation was grieved by the tragedy but emphasized Iran’s military resolve to exact revenge for the blood of martyrs.

“Although today we mourn our loved ones, by the grace of God, we have brought the enemy to its knees,” he declared.

The navy chief’s warning signals that Iran’s retaliation may extend beyond conventional battlefields, with potential operations targeting enemy assets in unexpected theatres.

The funeral procession for the Dena martyrs would be held on Tuesday evening, and they would be laid to rest the following day, according to authorities.

The US-Israeli war coalition launched an unprovoked war of aggression on Iran on February 28, assassinating the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, and several top commanders.

In response, Iranian armed forces have so far carried out 56 waves of Operation True Promise, pummelling Israeli military sites and US military bases across the region. (Press TV)

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The Ministry of Defence said today (13) that arrangements have been made to send to Iran the bodies of 84 Iranian sailors who died aboard the ship IRIS DENA, which was attacked by the United States in the southern seas off Sri Lanka.

A special aircraft carrying the bodies is scheduled to depart today (13) from Mattala International Airport, the Ministry added. The repatriation is being coordinated with the Iranian Embassy in Sri Lanka.

The 84 bodies, which had been kept in two mobile cold storage units at Galle National Hospital, were transported to Mattala by lorry following a court order. Forty-five bodies were moved early this morning, and the remaining 39 were transported this afternoon.

Earlier this month, the Iranian Navy ship suffered an accident about 40 nautical miles off Galle Port, with around 180 people on board. Thirty-five rescued sailors were admitted to Karapitiya Hospital, while 84 bodies were recovered.

Following the incident, U.S. Defence Secretary Peter Hegseth confirmed that the Iranian ship had been sunk in international waters by a torpedo fired from an American submarine. (Newswire)

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Galle Chief Magistrate Sameera Dodangoda today (11) directed the Director of Galle National Hospital to release the bodies of 84 Iranian sailors currently stored in two mobile cold rooms at the hospital to officials of the Iranian Embassy.

The order was issued following a request made to the Galle Chief Magistrate’s Court by the Galle Port Police.

The bodies were recovered after the sinking of the Iranian frigate ‘IRIS Dena’ off the Southern Coast of Sri Lanka recently. (Newswire)

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Iran says the bodies of dozens of sailors killed when the US attacked and sank its frigate ‘IRIS Dena’ off the coast of Sri Lanka will soon be returned to the country.

According to international media, Al Jazeera, in a statement reported by Fars News Agency, the army’s public relations office said 84 of the 104 bodies had been identified and would soon be transferred back to Iran.

The statement added that the repatriation was being carried out with the efforts of Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the cooperation of the Sri Lankan government. (Newswire/ Al Jazeera)

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Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has questioned how a foreign submarine was able to enter Sri Lanka’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) without the government being aware.

Speaking during the debate on the state of emergency in Parliament today, Premadasa said it was concerning that authorities claiming national security was at its highest level appeared unaware that a submarine had entered Sri Lanka’s EEZ and carried out an attack on an Iranian vessel.

He said the government must explain how a submarine was able to operate in Sri Lankan waters without detection, especially at a time when emergency regulations had been imposed, citing national security concerns.

“If a submarine had entered our waters 40 nautical miles from Sri Lanka, did we not have the technology to detect it? Do we not have surface radars? Sonobuoys or underwater sonar networks? Do we not have towed sonars or satellite surveillance? At a time when our national security was at its highest level, a submarine entered our Exclusive Economic Zone and carried out an attack. But the government said it was not sure of the cause. This alone shows the level of our national security,” he said. 

Premadasa noted that the Iranian naval vessel attacked within Sri Lanka’s EEZ resulted in significant casualties, with over a hundred sailors reported dead before the rescue of 208 crew members from the second Iranian vessel.

The Opposition Leader also called on the government to clarify what diplomatic measures had been taken to safeguard Sri Lanka’s EEZ and whether international maritime laws had been violated by the attack.

Premadasa further warned that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East could have serious economic consequences for Sri Lanka, including rising fuel, gas, medicine and food prices.

He urged the government to explore immediate fuel procurement options from India and Russia to mitigate potential shortages caused by disruptions to shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz.

Premadasa also cautioned against allowing the sunken Iranian vessel to trigger an environmental disaster similar to previous maritime incidents such as the X-Press Pearl and New Diamond, urging authorities to closely monitor potential ocean pollution.

He further called on the government to ensure the safety of nearly one million Sri Lankan workers in the Middle East, whose remittances contribute significantly to the country’s economy.

The Opposition Leader made these remarks while participating in the Parliamentary debate on the emergency regulations. (Newswire)

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The United National Party (UNP) has expressed concern over the continued silence of the Sri Lankan government regarding the sinking of an Iranian vessel by a U.S. submarine within Sri Lanka’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

According to a statement issued by the UNP, the party questioned whether the Sri Lankan government had been informed by the United States prior to the military action carried out in the country’s EEZ, particularly within the framework of the Colombo Security Conclave.

The UNP warned that such actions have effectively turned Sri Lanka’s EEZ into a warzone, posing risks to commercial interests. 

The party also noted that shipping costs and insurance premiums are expected to rise, which could negatively impact the national economy and increase the cost of living.

The statement further urged the government to seek assurances from the United States that no further military action will be conducted in the vicinity of Sri Lanka. 

It also called on authorities to engage with shipping companies and insurance providers to assess and mitigate the potential economic impact. 

The statement comes following the sinking of the Iranian Navy ship ‘IRIS Dena’ off the Southern Coast of Sri Lanka this week. (Newswire)

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