Adrift Iranian sailors repatriated to receive medical care

Sri Lankan authorities on Sunday sent 40 Iranian sailors who had been stranded on nearby ships back to their home country, the Associated Press reported. The move came after the ships sent distress calls seeking medical care. Sri Lankan authorities said roughly two weeks ago that it wasn’t planning to help, but over the weekend responded to the distress calls and provided medical care, according to AP.

The sailors were trapped on ships in international waters near Sri Lanka due to the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports. The Iranian embassy in Sri Lanka, along with local shipping companies, arranged their transport to Sri Lanka for medical care, according to AP.

Sri Lanka has good relationships with both the United States and Iran. A U.S. warship, the USS Canberra, received a formal welcome from the Sri Lankan navy on Monday when it docked at the port of Colombo for new supplies. Three Iranian navy vessels also docked in the same port on Monday and received the formal welcome, according to the Sri Lankan Navy.

Dig deeper: Read Christina Grube’s story on Sri Lanka’s repatriation of over 200 Iranian sailors in April