'Serious concern for India too': Sri Lankan minister urges govts to 'look seriously' after US sinks Iranian warship in Indian Ocean

Sri Lankan minister urges govts to 'look seriously' after US sinks Iranian warship in Indian Ocean

• A US submarine sank an Iranian naval ship near Sri Lanka.
• Sri Lanka rescued 32 sailors; up to 148 crew remain missing.
• The incident raises regional security concerns for South Asia.

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A United States submarine torpedoed and sank an Iranian naval vessel in the Indian Ocean on Wednesday, in an incident that took place off Sri Lanka’s southern coast, far from the Persian Gulf where most of the current hostilities have been concentrated.

Sri Lankan officials said their navy pulled 32 Iranian sailors from the water after the ship went down. However, many members of the crew remain unaccounted for, with authorities estimating that up to 148 personnel could still be missing. Search and rescue operations are ongoing, though officials say the likelihood of finding more survivors is fading.

The development has sparked unease in Sri Lanka and in neighbouring countries including India, as the strike occurred in international waters within Sri Lanka’s designated search and rescue zone in the Indian Ocean.

Sri Lankan parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa, son of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the attack while speaking to NDTV.

"This is a serious concern for Sri Lanka and also the Indian Ocean, and I'm sure for India as well," Rajapaksa told NDTV. "The war is happening miles away and we can see movements in the Indian Ocean just 40 nautical miles from the Gulf in Sri Lanka."

He said the Sri Lankan government should clarify whether it had any prior information about the strike.

"I think the government of Sri Lanka must answer to the people of Sri Lanka and to the rest of the world whether they were aware of this particular situation or this particular attack on this vessel or they were kept on guard," he said. "If they have been kept on guard then they have to bring this up with the relevant authorities and especially with the United States."

Rajapaksa also stressed that if Colombo had been aware of naval activity connected to the operation, the authorities should have communicated that information transparently.

"And if not, if they were aware of this kind of movement in the Indian Ocean and also in the Sri Lankan economic zone or the EZ of the international waters, then the government must make sure that they inform this properly to the Sri Lankan people and also have a proper broader dialogue with the regional partners as well," he told NDTV.

He said the government should investigate whether the strike had taken place without its knowledge.

"Yes of course, especially when it comes to the Indian Ocean because as we all know the Indian Ocean is something that is active at the moment compared to the Gulf region," he said. "So this is something that Sri Lanka should take very seriously."

Rajapaksa added that if Colombo had been informed in advance by Washington, the authorities would need to explain why the information had not been disclosed publicly.

"If the government had a dialogue with the United States and they were aware of this particular action then they have to make sure why they kept it as a secret from the public and the parliament and how they got into that agreement," he said.

At the same time, he said a lack of prior information would raise even more serious questions.

"If not, how come such an operation takes place in our waters in the Indian Ocean without our knowledge?" Rajapaksa asked, adding that the issue warranted regional attention.

"This is something I believe the government of India and also the South Asian region has to come together and look at and take this particular incident very seriously," he said.

Rajapaksa also reflected on the broader implications of the conflict, pointing to past military interventions in countries such as Libya, Iraq and Afghanistan.

"We have seen this before from that part of the world if you look at Libya and if you look at Iraq and even Afghanistan," he said. "The question is what is after, what's going to happen after."

He also said smaller nations frequently bear the consequences of decisions taken by larger powers.

"There are international laws and regulations that must be respected and each and every country's sovereignty must be respected and protected," Rajapaksa told NDTV. "This is about the national security of the Indian Ocean and about Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, the regional part of the world, Pakistan."

"So this is something that the region has to bring up together," he added.

Meanwhile in Washington, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that an American submarine carried out the strike.

"An American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters. Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo," Hegseth said.