Sri Lanka rescues 30 from Iranian frigate Iris Dena as ship sinks near territorial waters
sri lanka sent ships and aircraft on March 4, 2026, to rescue 30 Iranian sailors from the frigate Iris Dena, which was sinking just outside the island's territorial waters, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told parliament.
Sri Lanka dispatches ships and aircraft
Officials in Colombo mobilized both surface vessels and aircraft to reach the Iranian frigate Iris Dena after signs that the ship was taking on water. The operation focused on evacuating 30 injured sailors from the vessel; Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said the rescued crew members were being moved from the scene toward medical care.
Iris Dena sinking from dawn
Herath told lawmakers that the 180-crew frigate had been sinking from dawn and that the distress occurred just outside the island's territorial waters. The name of the warship, Iris Dena, and the count of 180 crew on board were cited as part of the account given in parliament.
Injured sailors brought to hospital in the island's south
He said 30 injured sailors were being brought to a hospital in the island's south. The statement to parliament made clear the immediate priority was medical care for the wounded; ships and aircraft had carried out the initial evacuations from the Iris Dena to the point where further treatment could be arranged.
The rescue unfolded as Sri Lanka worked to move casualties away from the deteriorating frigate. In his parliamentary remarks, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath provided the central details: the deployment of ships and aircraft, the count of 30 injured crew removed from the vessel, and the transfer of those sailors to hospital in the island's south.
The situation was described in the legislature with the specific anchors of the vessel's name, Iris Dena, the crew complement of 180, and the timing that the ship had been sinking from dawn. Those facts formed the core of the government's account as it outlined the response carried out at sea and the follow-up medical transfer.
For the moment, the next confirmed movement is the transfer of the 30 injured sailors to hospital in the island's south, which Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said was underway after the evacuation from the Iranian frigate Iris Dena.
