At least 40 Iranian sailors from US-sanctioned oil tankers anchored just outside Sri Lanka’s territorial waters have sought urgent medical treatment on the island, officials said, according to AFP.
The merchant sailors were brought ashore through the port of Galle, 115 kilometres (72 miles) south of the capital Colombo, over the weekend, officials said.
Sri Lanka’s foreign ministry confirmed that it had coordinated the ship-to-shore transfer of Iranian sailors in need of urgent care.
“We have coordinated the transfer and carried out our humanitarian obligations,” ministry spokesman Thushara Rodrigo told AFP. “The costs were borne by the Iranian embassy.”
