Sri Lanka coordinated the rescue of 40 Iranian sailors from multiple commercial ships in international waters off its coast after its foreign ministry received a request from the Iranian embassy through diplomatic channels, ministry spokesman Thushara Rodrigo said on Sunday. The sailors, drawn from 19 ships, had been suffering unspecified medical emergencies, were brought ashore at Galle Harbour and given medical treatment, and returned to Iran early on Sunday morning. Local media, including the Indian newspaper The Hindu, reported the sailors had been aboard vessels that were US-sanctioned oil tankers, Reuters reported, and Washington has imposed a blockade on Iranian shipping as part of its war on Iran.
Sri Lanka rescues 40 Iranian sailors in international waters
Sri Lanka coordinated the rescue of 40 Iranian sailors from 19 commercial ships in international waters off its coast and returned them to Iran early on Sunday, its foreign ministry said.
Why it matters: The sailors were reported by local media to have been aboard US-sanctioned oil tankers, so a medical rescue at sea has put a third country in direct contact with the shipping network Washington is blockading.
Data as of Reuters report of October 25, 2026, via gCaptain and read in full in this run. It is the sole source for this item. The foreign ministry spokesman is the source for the rescue, the medical emergencies and the return to Iran. The report that the vessels were US-sanctioned oil tankers is local media reporting, including The Hindu, as carried by Reuters, and the ministry gave no reason for the rescue beyond unspecified medical emergencies. Developing item.
Sources
- Sri Lanka Rescues 40 Iranian Sailors - Reuters, via gCaptain - 2026-10-25