A second Iranian warship was moving toward Sri Lanka’s territorial waters on Thursday, just a day after a US submarine torpedoed and sank an Iranian frigate off the island’s southern coast, killing at least 87 sailors. The development has heightened fears that the conflict triggered by the joint US‑Israel attack on Iran is now spilling far beyond the Middle East.
Sri Lanka’s Media Minister Nalinda Jayatissa told parliament the vessel was positioned just outside the country’s waters, though he provided no further details. Official sources said the ship was carrying more than 100 crew members, raising concerns they could face the same fate as the frigate destroyed on Wednesday.
In the southern port city of Galle, authorities were preparing to hand over the remains of the 87 Iranian sailors killed in the torpedo strike, which the US military has claimed responsibility for. At Galle’s main hospital, 32 rescued Iranian sailors were being treated under tight security, with police and elite commandos guarding a separate ward set up exclusively for them. Medical staff said most had minor injuries, though some were suffering from fractures and burns.
Sri Lankan navy vessels continued searching for missing sailors on Thursday, according to navy spokesman Buddhika Sampath. Iran has yet to issue any public comment on the sinking.
Sri Lanka has maintained a neutral stance throughout the widening conflict and has repeatedly urged all parties to return to dialogue. But with a second Iranian warship now approaching its waters, the island nation finds itself uncomfortably close to a rapidly escalating regional confrontation.
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