Sri Lanka Navy personnel assist Iranian sailors during a rescue operation after responding to a distress call from their vessel, the Iranian military ship, IRIS Dena, while at sea within Sri Lanka’s maritime search and rescue region, in Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka, March 4, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
Sri Lanka has sent home 238 Iranian sailors, including 32 who survived a U.S torpedo attack that sank their ship in the Indian Ocean, officials said on Friday (April 17, 2026).
A U.S. submarine sank the IRIS Dena on March 4 while the ship was returning home after taking part in a naval exercise at the invitation of India. The Sri Lankan navy recovered 87 bodies, and 32 were hospitalised. A second Iranian ship was brought to a southern Sri Lankan port after its crew reported technical problems.
Published – April 17, 2026 10:03 pm IST
