COLOMBO — Sri Lanka coordinated the rescue of 40 Iranian sailors from multiple commercial ships in international waters off the coast of the country and supported their return to Iran, a spokesman for the island nation's foreign ministry said on Sunday (October 25), Reuters reported.

Source: Reuters, Oct 25

The ministry received a request from the Iranian embassy via diplomatic channels to rescue the sailors, spokesman Thushara Rodrigo said, adding that they had been suffering unspecified medical emergencies. The sailors from 19 ships were brought ashore at Galle Harbour, about 126 km from the commercial capital Colombo, and were given medical treatment before returning to Iran early on Sunday morning, the spokesman added. The maritime outlet gCaptain, also reporting the Reuters dispatch, carried the same Galle and 19-ship details.

Source: Reuters via gCaptain, Oct 25

40Iranian sailors rescued in the coordinated operation
19Commercial ships the sailors were taken from
126 kmDistance from Galle Harbour to Colombo, Sri Lanka's commercial capital
March 4Date earlier this year when the Iranian warship IRIS Dena was sunk, after which Sri Lanka also helped Iranian sailors, Reuters said

Ministry did not say why the rescue was needed; sanctioned tankers reported

The ministry did not give any further details of why the sailors had to be rescued, Reuters said. Local media including the Indian newspaper The Hindu reported they were on board vessels which were US-sanctioned oil tankers, according to Reuters. Washington has imposed a blockade on Iranian shipping as part of its war on Iran. Sri Lanka's navy and coastguard typically provide support during humanitarian efforts, a government source with direct knowledge of the rescue told Reuters.

Source: Reuters, Oct 25

Second Iranian-sailor rescue by Sri Lanka this year

Earlier this year Sri Lanka rescued dozens of Iranian sailors on humanitarian grounds after the Iranian warship IRIS Dena was sunk by a torpedo from a US submarine on March 4, Reuters reported. The bodies of more than 80 sailors who died in that attack were flown back to Iran in mid-March, and 32 survivors of the sunken ship, as well as 208 crew members from another vessel, were returned to Iran in April.

Source: Reuters, Oct 25