Sri Lanka treats and repatriates 40 Iranian sailors

Sri Lanka coordinated medical treatment and repatriation for 40 Iranian sailors after receiving a rescue request through diplomatic channels, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Thushara Rodrigo said Sunday. The sailors were brought ashore at Galle over the weekend and received initial medical care before leaving for Iran early Sunday, Rodrigo said. Reports said they came from commercial vessels in international waters off Sri Lanka. Rodrigo said he did not have details about which ships they came from. The ministry arranged the transfer after the Iranian Embassy requested help, according to Rodrigo. The embassy paid the transfer costs, he said. Another account said vessels arranged by the embassy and local shipping agents transported the sailors to shore, while Sri Lankan authorities handled immigration and other formalities. Reuters reported that Rodrigo said the sailors came from 19 ships and had unspecified medical emergencies. The ministry did not provide further details about their conditions or the vessels. Reports described the ships as US-sanctioned Iranian tankers, but Rodrigo said he lacked information identifying them. The rescue comes as Iranian merchant vessels have...