Second Iranian ship 'IRIS Bushehr' to Trincomalee Port - Sri Lanka saves 208 lives

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake states that arrangements are being made to bring the Iranian vessel 'IRIS Bushehr' to the Trincomalee port. He also said that the crew of the vessel would be brought to the Colombo port.

The President stated this while addressing the media at the Presidential Secretariat. He also said that the vessel had suffered a technical fault.

The President further stated that arrangements are currently underway to bring the 208 crew members from the vessel to the Colombo port.

The President emphasized that Sri Lanka's land, maritime zones, and airspace will not be allowed to be used by any state in a partisan manner during conflicts, or in a way that causes distress to another country.

"In any international conflict, our stance is one of neutrality. We will absolutely not allow our land, our maritime zones, or our airspace to be used by any state in a partisan manner during a conflict, or in a way that causes distress to any state. That is our position. Therefore, all the measures we have taken and the statements we have made since the conflict began are based on this stance.

Accordingly, the issue concerning two Iranian vessels has arisen, and in that situation too, we are maintaining neutrality. As a nation and a state, while absolutely safeguarding neutrality, we prioritize humanity above all else. Therefore, we will not hesitate at all to take any necessary measures to protect humanity and human lives. I believe that is the best policy for a state to adopt. We operate based on those policies."