- Sri Lankan minister Nalinda Jayatissa said the ship was just outside the country's territorial waters
- "We are doing our utmost to safeguard lives," Jayatissa said
- The vessel was carrying more than 100 crew, according to reports
A second Iranian warship was heading towards Sri Lanka on Thursday, just a day after a US submarine destroyed the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena, killing 87 sailors. Sri Lankan minister Nalinda Jayatissa confirmed the ship was just outside the country's territorial waters.
The vessel is reportedly carrying more than 100 crew members. Sources told AFP that there are fears the ship could be targeted in the same manner as its sister ship, which was sunk off Sri Lanka's southern coast yesterday. "We are doing our utmost to safeguard lives," Jayatissa said. Live updates here.
The warship has reportedly requested an urgent port call. Sri Lankan MP Namal Rajapaksa said the warship was awaiting government clearance. "The government must immediately reveal what its stance is on this matter," he posted on X.
This comes as authorities in the port city of Galle were preparing to hand over the remains of the 87 Iranian sailors killed in the torpedo attack, which was claimed by the US military. At the main hospital in Galle, 32 rescued Iranians were still being treated under heavy security provided by police and elite commandos.
Reports indicated that Iran had requested to enter the safety of the island's waters, and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake was meeting top officials to discuss a response. Meanwhile, navy spokesman Buddhika Sampath said that search operations continue for an estimated 60 people who remain unaccounted for.
Iran is a key buyer of Sri Lankan tea, the country's main export commodity.
Escalation In The Indian Ocean
The attack on IRIS Dena widens the scope of the war, occurring thousands of miles from the Gulf, where the US and Israeli forces are striking Iran, and Tehran is retaliating with missile and drone attacks.
The ship had issued a distress call at dawn on Wednesday, but completely sunk by the time a Sri Lankan rescue ship reached the area. The frigate was returning from a military exercise in Visakhapatnam when it was struck.
Iran today launched a new wave of attacks at Israeli and American bases and threatened that the US would "bitterly regret" its action in the international waters.
"The US has perpetrated an atrocity at sea, 2,000 miles away from Iran's shores. Frigate Dena, a guest of India's Navy carrying almost 130 sailors, was struck in international waters without warning," he said in a post on X. "Mark my words: The US will come to bitterly regret (the) precedent it has set."
While Sri Lanka and India have remained neutral and repeatedly urged dialogue, the region is increasingly drawn into the fallout of the US-Israel offensive launched last Saturday. The campaign that resulted in the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
US President Donald Trump has suggested that toppling the government is a goal, but the exact aims and timelines have repeatedly shifted, signalling an open-ended conflict.
