US Pressing Sri Lanka Not To Repatriate Iranian Ship IRIS Dena's Crew: Report

Last Updated:March 07, 2026, 07:13 IST

The vessel, IRIS Dena, had been returning to Iran after participating in the Milan multilateral naval exercise hosted by India.

Iran-US War: Days after US torpedoed and sank the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena off Sri Lankan coast, Washington is reportedly pressing Sri Lanka government not to repatriate survivors from the sunken ship, news agency Reuters reported, citing an internal State Department cable.

The government also asked Sri Lanka to not send back the crew of another Iranian ship, IRIS Booshehr, that is in the Sri Lankan custody.

A US submarine torpedoed and sank the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena on Wednesday about 19 nautical miles off Sri Lanka’s southern port city of Galle amid escalating tensions between Tehran and Washington. Sri Lankan authorities launched a rescue operation following a distress signal and recovered at least 87 bodies, while 32 sailors were rescued.

The vessel, IRIS Dena, had been returning to Iran after participating in the Milan multilateral naval exercise hosted by India.

According to the cable dated March 6, Jayne Howell, the charge d’affaires at the US embassy in Colombo, urged Sri Lankan authorities not to return the survivors of the Dena to Iran. Washington also asked Sri Lanka not to repatriate the 208 crew members of another Iranian naval vessel, IRIS Booshehr, which was stranded in Sri Lanka’s exclusive economic zone and is currently in Sri Lankan custody.

“Sri Lankan authorities should minimise Iranian attempts to use the detainees for propaganda," the cable reportedly said.

Sri Lanka on Thursday began offloading the Booshehr’s crew and moving them to facilities near Colombo. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said the island nation had a “humanitarian responsibility" to assist the stranded sailors.

The Dena, one of Iran’s newer Moudge-class frigates, had about 180 personnel on board and was armed with missiles, guns and torpedoes. Multiple US officials told CBS News that the vessel was struck by torpedoes fired from the attack submarine USS Charlotte, with the second torpedo hitting and sinking the ship after the first missed.

According to the report, the Los Angeles-class attack submarine fired two MK-48 torpedoes at the Iranian warship IRIS Dena.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the strike, describing the attack as a “quiet death" delivered by a torpedo against a warship that believed it was safe in international waters.

News world US Pressing Sri Lanka Not To Repatriate Iranian Ship IRIS Dena's Crew: Report

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