Repatriation of Fallen Iranian Sailors from Sri Lanka

The bodies of 84 Iranian sailors killed in a U.S. submarine attack on the IRIS Dena warship near Sri Lanka will be repatriated, as confirmed by the Iranian embassy in Colombo and Sri Lankan media. The warship was returning from naval exercises in India when it was struck by a U.S. torpedo amid heightened tensions in the U.S.-Israeli confrontation with Iran, which has already caused global trade and travel disruptions. A Sri Lankan court directed that the bodies, held at Galle's National Hospital, be handed to Iran's embassy.

Local media reported that the repatriation is set for Friday via a special flight from Mattala International Airport. Arrangements to transport the sailors' bodies have been confirmed by the Iranian embassy; however, flight details remain unspecified. Reuters photographs capture police escorting trucks carrying the remains through busy streets.

The Sri Lankan navy, although staying out of the repatriation process, has accommodated 208 crew members from another Iranian ship, IRIS Booshehr, with 30-day visas after the vessel faced engine troubles. Sri Lanka is in communication with the Iranian embassy and Tehran concerning the remaining crew. Despite Washington's pressure on Colombo to avoid repatriating survivors from both vessels, Sri Lanka maintains crucial trade links with both the U.S. and Iran.