Sri Lanka takes control of Iranian Navy ship IRIS Bushehr after US submarine sinks IRIS Dena.

Sri Lanka took control of the Iranian naval auxiliary ship IRIS Bushehr after the vessel requested assistance near the island following the sinking of the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena by a U.S. submarine.

Sri Lanka took control of the Iranian naval auxiliary ship IRIS Bushehr after the vessel requested assistance near the island following the sinking of the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena by a U.S. submarine. Sri Lankan authorities evacuated 208 crew members and transferred them to Colombo while placing the ship under state supervision. The replenishment ship is being escorted to Trincomalee as search and rescue operations continue after the torpedo attack in the Indian Ocean.
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The Bandar Abbas-class fleet replenishment ship IRIS Bushehr (422) requested assistance from Sri Lanka on March 4, 2026, after one of its engines malfunctioned, leading to the evacuation of more than 200 crew members. (Picture source: Facebook/Anupa Kavindu Bandara and X/visionergeo)

On March 5, 2026, Sri Lanka's President Anura Kumara Dissanayake confirmed that the country had taken control of the Iranian naval auxiliary ship IRIS Bushehr (422) and evacuated more than 200 crew members after the vessel requested assistance near the island following the sinking of the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena by a U.S. submarine torpedo off Sri Lanka’s southern coast. The IRIS Bushehr reported engine problems while operating near Sri Lanka’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and requested permission to enter a port on March 4 and March 5. Sri Lankan authorities decided to evacuate the majority of the crew and place the vessel under state control while relocating it away from the country’s main commercial harbor.

The personnel were transferred to Colombo while the ship itself was scheduled to be escorted to the northeastern port of Trincomalee. The episode occurred during ongoing search and rescue operations related to the earlier naval attack and placed Sri Lanka in a position where it had to apply neutrality while addressing humanitarian obligations. The sequence of events began when Iran requested permission on February 26 for three naval vessels to visit Sri Lankan ports between March 9 and March 13 for a cooperation visit. The vessels (the Moudge-class frigate IRIS Dena, the Bandar Abbas-class fleet replenishment ship IRIS Bushehr, and a third Iranian vessel not officially identified at the time of writing) were located close to, but outside, Sri Lanka’s maritime zone while the request was under review.

On February 27, Sri Lankan authorities were informed that a sailor aboard one of the Iranian ships had suffered an injury, prompting the navy and air force to bring that individual and an accompanying officer ashore for treatment. In the early hours of March 4, between 5:08 a.m. and 5:30 a.m., distress signals were detected from a vessel that had come under attack roughly 19 nautical miles from the port of Galle. Sri Lankan forces launched a response operation involving naval vessels and aircraft, while India deployed maritime patrol aircraft and dispatched the vessels INS Tarangini and INS Ikshak to assist in the search and rescue effort. The attacked ship was later identified as the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena, which had been sailing in the Indian Ocean after participating in multinational naval activities linked to India’s International Fleet Review 2026 and the MILAN exercise.

The frigate had about 180 people on board when it was struck by a torpedo fired from a United States submarine, potentially the Los Angeles-class USS Charlotte (SSN-766). Sri Lankan rescue teams recovered 32 survivors from the water and transported them for treatment at Karapitiya Hospital in Galle, while 84 bodies were recovered during the initial operation, and additional casualties raised the death toll to 87 in several accounts. Search operations continued for missing personnel after oil slicks and life rafts were detected in the area of the sinking. The attack marked a rare naval engagement involving a submarine strike against a surface warship and intensified tensions in the Indian Ocean theater of the conflict. 

The IRIS Bushehr, which requested assistance on March 4, 2026, after one of its engines malfunctioned, is a Bandar Abbas-class fleet supply ship operated by the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy and carrying the pennant number 422. The vessel was constructed at the C. Lühring shipyard in Brake, West Germany, and launched on March 23, 1974, before entering service in November 1974. The two ships of this class were designed to support Iranian naval groups during extended operations by transporting fuel, supplies, ammunition, and other stores to accompanying warships. Bushehr remained in service through several decades of Iranian naval deployments beyond the Persian Gulf, including operations in the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Indian Ocean. 

The ship has also been used to carry cadets and officers during long-range training missions. The vessel measures 108 m in length with a beam of 16.6 m and a maximum draft of roughly 4.5 m to 4.6 m. At full load, the ship displaces about 4,748 tons and carries a tonnage of more than 3,200 gross tons with 3,302 deadweight tons of cargo capacity. Propulsion is provided by two MAN 6L 52-55 diesel engines delivering about 12,060 hp and driving two shafts. This propulsion arrangement allows the ship to reach a speed of 20 knots and maintain an operational range of 3,500 nautical miles at 16 knots. Although its primary role is logistical support, the ship carries light defensive armament. Bushehr is equipped with three GAM-B01 20 mm cannons and two 12.7 mm heavy machine guns for protection against small surface threats and low-level aerial targets. The ship also includes aviation facilities consisting of a helicopter landing area and a telescopic hangar designed to operate one helicopter.

These aviation capabilities enable limited reconnaissance, personnel transfer, and logistical support operations during deployments. After the request for entry was received, Sri Lankan authorities held consultations with the ship’s captain and Iranian diplomatic representatives before deciding to take custody of the vessel and its personnel. The evacuation operation involved 208 crew members from the Iranian vessel, and those transferred ashore included 53 officers, 84 cadet officers, 48 senior sailors, and 23 sailors. The personnel were transported by Sri Lankan naval vessels to Colombo, where medical examinations and immigration procedures were conducted before they were moved to facilities at the Welisara naval base north of the capital. Authorities determined that the ship would not be kept at Colombo Port because the harbor is the country’s main commercial maritime hub, and the presence of a belligerent state’s naval vessel could affect shipping activity and insurance costs. Instead, the ship was designated for relocation to Trincomalee, as some members of the original crew remained aboard alongside Sri Lankan naval personnel to assist during the transfer operation.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.