Iranian Ambassador Dr. Alireza Delkhosh stated at a Colombo press conference that the US attack on the Iranian military vessel IRIS Dena near Sri Lankan waters violated humanitarian law.

He claimed the incident in March 2026 led to the deaths of 104 unarmed sailors and occurred while the ship was 1,100 nautical miles from any battlefield.

Dr. Delkhosh alleged prior US and Israel strikes targeted civilian sites in Iran, including schools and hospitals, causing hundreds of civilian deaths.

He emphasized Iran’s right to self-defense under international law and warned regional actors against supporting US and Israel actions, while maintaining that the Strait of Hormuz remains open but restricted to hostile ships.