Exclusive: US pressing Sri Lanka not to repatriate Iranian crew and survivors from sunken ship, memo says - Reuters
Exclusive: US pressing Sri Lanka not to repatriate Iranian crew and survivors from sunken ship, memo says Reuters
Coverage by Political Leaning
See how different sides of the spectrum reported this story
Notable Quotes
"his island nation had a 'humanitarian responsibility' to take in the crew."
— Anura Kumara Dissanayake , Politician
"the torpedoing of the Dena...was described as 'quiet death'."
— Pete Hegseth , Executive
"Tehran had asked Colombo for help repatriating the bodies of those killed aboard the Dena."
— Hansaka Wijemuni , Politician
"the US will come to bitterly regret the precedent it has set."
— Abbas Araghchi , Politician
"An American submarine sank an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters."
— Pete Hegseth , Executive
"We are not taking sides in this conflict, but while maintaining our neutrality we are taking action to save lives."
— Anura Kumara Dissanayake , Politician
"The US has perpetrated an atrocity at sea, 2,000 miles away from Iran’s shores."
— Abbas Araghchi , Politician
"It was sunk by a torpedo, a quiet death."
— Pete Hegseth , Executive
"humanitarian responsibility to take in the crew."
— Anura Kumara Dissanayake , Politician
""quiet death""
— Pete Hegseth , Executive
"that thought it was safe in international waters. Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo, a quiet death."
— Pete Hegseth , Executive
Key People
Abbas Araghchi is the Foreign Minister of Iran.
He is the President of Sri Lanka.
Supreme Leader of Iran.
He is the Deputy Minister for Health and Mass Media in Sri Lanka.
She is the charge d'affaires at the U.S. embassy in Colombo.
Pete Hegseth is the United States Secretary of Defense.
Sri Lanka's foreign affairs minister who addressed the situation regarding the sinking.
Tags
All Coverage
<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiywFBVV95cUxQUlN5UzdoYnNDQzkyVmpqcXpwaWVHUzUyWm1FVVJqdm1LUzJ4SXF4WTd5SFBVZVJ1VEhseFFBNXMtT0k1QnRzUVJXVTc0YjRWU0htWFJ6TTEwMUdtbmZ1Y0RGaGRwWnRKMGtNanBuZXFWN09RNHRYckQ1U0pBZTJsZEQyYUhOUE9Ibnd4OGs0YmVvNWRsXzh1MFZmekZPQTBDVHpXR2VoRlA4cGt0NU5UWi0taFpNejQ4NG9mS2hNcG9sMnhTZmVGQkpnOA?oc=5" target="_blank">Exclusive: US pressing Sri Lanka not to repatriate Iranian crew and survivors from sunken ship, memo says</a> <font color="#6f6f6f">Reuters</font>
The United States has urged Sri Lanka not to repatriate Iranian sailors rescued after the sinking of the IRIS Dena, according to an internal U.S. State Department cable reported by Reuters.
Sri Lanka’s president, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, confirmed that the country’s navy would take over Iranian military support ship IRIS Bushehr and allow it to dock at the north-eastern port of Trincomalee.
The United States is pressing Sri Lanka's government not to repatriate the survivors from the Iranian warship it sank this week, as well as the crew of a second Iranian ship that is in Sri Lankan custody, according to an internal State Department cable seen by Reuters on Friday.
Sri Lanka has evacuated more than 200 crew members from a second Iranian naval vessel off its coast, a day after a US submarine sank an Iranian frigate in the same waters, leaving 87 sailors dead.
The United States is urging Sri Lanka not to repatriate survivors from the Iranian warship IRIS Dena and the crew of the IRIS Booshehr, according to an internal State Department cable.
An internal U.S. State Department cable reveals that the U.S. is urging Sri Lanka not to repatriate survivors from the Iranian warship IRIS Dena and the crew of the IRIS Booshehr, currently in Sri Lankan custody, to Iran.
The US has reportedly asked Sri Lanka not to repatriate survivors from the Iranian warship IRIS Dena and the crew of the IRIS Booshehr, which is in Sri Lankan custody.
Similar Stories
Related coverage based on topic and tags
Panama‑flagged cargo ship sinks off eastern India, coast guard says - Reuters
Panama‑flagged cargo ship sinks off eastern India, coast guard says Reuters
August 22, 2026 at 05:56 PMUS military says it struck vessel in Eastern Pacific, killing two - Reuters
US military says it struck vessel in Eastern Pacific, killing two Reuters
August 24, 2026 at 08:18 PMUS military says it struck vessel in the Caribbean, killing four - Reuters
US military says it struck vessel in the Caribbean, killing four Reuters
August 26, 2026 at 12:51 AMFather of sailor aboard USS Abraham Lincoln taken into US immigration detention - Reuters
Father of sailor aboard USS Abraham Lincoln taken into US immigration detention Reuters
August 24, 2026 at 04:00 AMIran urges other nations not to join new US sanctions, mediators focus on reopening strait - Reuters
Iran urges other nations not to join new US sanctions, mediators focus on reopening strait Reuters
August 28, 2026 at 03:29 PMSome oil companies to avoid ships on Iran blacklist, sources say - Reuters
Some oil companies to avoid ships on Iran blacklist, sources say Reuters
August 26, 2026 at 04:49 AM