At least 40 Iranian tanker sailors sought urgent medical treatment in Sri Lanka after being brought ashore from US-sanctioned oil tankers anchored outside the country’s territorial waters, officials said on October 25, 2026.

Iranian tanker sailors brought ashore

The merchant sailors were transferred through the port of Galle over the weekend. The port is about 115 kilometers south of Colombo.

Sri Lanka’s foreign ministry said it coordinated the ship-to-shore transfers for sailors needing urgent care. Ministry spokesman Thushara Rodrigo said the Iranian embassy bore the costs.

Tankers remain outside territorial waters

Nearly a dozen empty Iranian tankers are anchored near Galle harbor. Iranian tankers and other merchant vessels have been unable to return to their home port because of a US blockade.

Sri Lanka says the tankers are in international waters, where they enjoy freedom of navigation. Defense officials said the military has deployed reconnaissance aircraft and patrol boats to monitor vessels outside the country’s 12-nautical-mile territorial waters.

Authorities said many Iranian merchant vessels have moved east toward the Strait of Malacca and Singapore because of US sanctions, while a few remain near Sri Lankan waters.

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