Iranian Vessel Experiences Engine Failure, Crew Evacuated Days After US Submarine Sank Similar Ship

An Iranian ship offloaded more than 200 crew members to Sri Lanka on Friday after experiencing engine failure at sea, just days after a U.S. submarine sank another Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean.

The IRIS Bushehr, which Iranian media has previously described as a navy logistics ship, is being brought to the port of Colombo, according to Sri Lanka navy spokesman Commander Buddhika Sampath. Following medical examinations and immigration procedures, the sailors are being transferred to a naval base in Welisara.

“We have to understand that this is not an ordinary situation,” Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said Thursday. “It’s a request by a ship belonging to one party to enter into our port. We have to consider that according to the international treaties and conventions.”

The Sri Lankan authorities decided to take control of the IRIS Bushehr following discussions with Iranian officials and the ship’s captain after one of its engines failed. Some crew members will remain on board to assist the Sri Lankan navy in later navigating the vessel to Trincomalee on the island’s northeast coast, approximately 165 miles from Colombo.

The incident comes at a time of heightened naval tensions in the region. On Wednesday, a U.S. submarine sank the Iranian warship IRIS Dena off Sri Lanka’s coast in what U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth described as “the first sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since World War II.”

The torpedo attack represents a significant escalation in the ongoing maritime conflict between the United States and Iran. Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine told Pentagon reporters that the Iranian vessel was “effectively neutralized” in a Navy “fast attack” using a single Mark 48 torpedo, achieving “immediate effect, sending the warship to the bottom of the sea.”

In response to the attack, the Indian navy reported initiating search and rescue operations after receiving a distress signal from the Dena. They deployed two aircraft along with a sailing training vessel, although by that time, the Sri Lankan navy had already begun its own rescue efforts.

According to Associated Press reports, the Sri Lankan navy rescued 32 sailors and recovered 87 bodies following the attack, highlighting the deadly nature of the engagement and raising humanitarian concerns about military actions at sea.

The incident has drawn strong condemnation from Iran. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Thursday that the U.S. will “bitterly regret” striking and sinking the ship. “The U.S. has perpetrated an atrocity at sea, 2,000 miles away from Iran’s shores,” Araqchi wrote on social media platform X. “Frigate Dena, a guest of India’s Navy carrying almost 130 sailors, was struck in international waters without warning.”

“Mark my words: The U.S. will come to bitterly regret precedent it has set,” he added, suggesting potential Iranian retaliation.

The sinking of the IRIS Dena is part of broader military exchanges between the United States, Israel, and Iran. Recent satellite imagery has shown fires and damage across Iranian naval bases following U.S. and Israeli strikes, indicating an intensification of the conflict.

Maritime security experts note that the Indian Ocean region has become an increasingly contested space, with naval forces from multiple nations operating in close proximity. The sinking of an Iranian warship by a U.S. submarine marks a significant escalation in military tactics not seen in decades.

The timing of the IRIS Bushehr’s engine failure so soon after the sinking of the IRIS Dena has raised questions about the operational status of Iran’s naval fleet. Maritime analysts suggest that Iran’s aging naval infrastructure and limited access to parts due to international sanctions may be affecting its operational capabilities in distant waters.

For Sri Lanka, the handling of these incidents represents a delicate diplomatic balancing act. As a small island nation positioned along critical maritime routes, Sri Lanka must navigate carefully between major powers while upholding its international obligations regarding distressed vessels and humanitarian assistance.

The fate of the IRIS Bushehr and its crew remains under close international observation as regional tensions continue to simmer in the aftermath of the IRIS Dena sinking.