- 204 sailors in Welisara, 32 in Boossa
- Navy says sailors’ communication restricted
The Ministry of Defence yesterday (7) rejected foreign media reports which claimed that the United States had pressured Sri Lanka not to return rescued Iranian sailors to Tehran following recent maritime incidents in the Indian Ocean.
“There is no truth to the claims that the US Government or the US Embassy have applied pressure on Sri Lanka to refrain from returning the sailors to Iran and no such dialogue has taken place,” Deputy Minister of Defence Major General (Retd) Aruna Jayasekara said, adding that there had been no conversation regarding the matter thus far.
He stated that no one had spoken on behalf of the US Government or the embassy regarding this matter, adding that it appeared that certain media outlets were spreading the news, but there had been no such information, dialogue, or conversation on the issue.
Jayasekara also confirmed that the rescued sailors were currently being accommodated at secure locations under Sri Lankan custody while administrative and diplomatic processes continued.
“The 32 Iranian sailors rescued from the first vessel have been relocated to a secure location in Galle at the Boossa cantonment, while the 204 sailors from the second vessel are being kept under Sri Lankan custody in Welisara,” Jayasekara said.
He noted that Sri Lanka had to carefully balance its international relationships while addressing the situation.
“Sri Lanka maintains long-standing relations with Iran, but we also need to maintain relations with the US and Israel, particularly because many Sri Lankan expatriate workers are employed in Israel,” he said.
The comments come after reports suggested that Washington had sought to prevent the return of the sailors amid concerns that Iran could use the incident for political messaging.
Sri Lanka, however, has maintained that its actions have been guided strictly by humanitarian obligations and international law.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Thushara Rodrigo said that decisions relating to the sailors and related diplomatic matters would be handled in accordance with established international frameworks.
“Respective international law and diplomatic norms will guide the enforcement,” Rodrigo said.
He also cautioned against the political exploitation of those involved in the maritime incidents: “Using the victims for publicity or propaganda will only further complicate the situation. Our objective is to help de-escalate tensions, not inflame them.”
Rodrigo reiterated Sri Lanka’s broader diplomatic position amid the ongoing geopolitical tensions, noting: “Sri Lanka is a neutral country in the international political landscape and we believe in diplomatic engagement for a peaceful resolution.”