An Iranian naval vessel drifting in Sri Lankan waters has triggered an urgent joint rescue operation, raising serious maritime safety concerns while dozens of sailors are rushed to hospital.
An Iranian ship identified as IRIS Dena is currently in distress about forty nautical miles off Galle Harbour in Sri Lankan waters. The Sri Lanka Navy confirmed that naval vessels were immediately deployed after receiving reports of the maritime emergency near the southern coast.
The Sri Lanka Navy and Air Force have launched a coordinated rescue operation to assist the damaged vessel and ensure the safety of its crew. Authorities say the accident occurred within Sri Lanka’s territorial waters and evacuation procedures are underway.
Approximately thirty of the nearly one hundred and eighty sailors onboard have already been rescued and transported to Karapitiya Hospital for treatment.
Officials say investigations continue while rescue teams work to safely evacuate the remaining crew.
What do we know about the IRIS Dena ship that is said to have been involved in an accident?
The IRIS Dena is a warship belonging to the 86th Fleet of the Iranian Navy and has attracted international attention in recent years. The vessel became widely known after completing an extensive 65,000-kilometer global naval mission between 2022 and 2023, a voyage that Iran described as a demonstration of the operational reach and endurance of its navy.
The ship is fully designed and built in Iran at the Shahid Darwish Shipyard in Bandar Abbas. Weighing approximately 1,500 tons and measuring around 95 meters in length, the IRIS Dena is equipped with a range of modern naval weapons. Its armament reportedly includes Noor or Qader anti-ship missiles, a 76 mm Fajr-27 naval gun, a 30 mm close-range weapon system, torpedoes, and surface-to-air missile capabilities.
According to Iranian naval authorities, the vessel is intended to strengthen the country’s ability to safeguard maritime trade routes, combat piracy, and conduct long-range naval operations across international waters.
Prior to the latest developments, the IRIS Dena had docked at Visakhapatnam in India on February 17. The visit was confirmed by the Indian Navy’s Eastern Command through a post on its X account, stating that the Iranian warship had arrived to take part in the international naval exercise “IFR & MILAN 2026.”
