Sri Lanka announced the rescue of 40 Iranian sailors from 19 commercial ships.

Sri Lanka announced the rescue of 40 Iranian sailors from 19 commercial ships.

Sri Lanka's foreign ministry spokesman announced on Sunday that the country had rescued 40 Iranian sailors from 19 commercial ships in international waters off its coast. Sri Lanka says these sailors were returned to the port of Galle and after receiving medical treatment, they were returned to Iran on Sunday.

According to Reuters, the spokesman for the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry said without giving details that these sailors need medical services and that the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry received a request from the Iranian Embassy to rescue the sailors through diplomatic channels.

Local media say that these sailors were "crews of oil tankers subject to US sanctions".

A Sri Lankan government source told Reuters that the Sri Lankan Navy and Coast Guard usually participate in humanitarian operations. Last March, after the Iranian ship "Dana" was targeted by an American submarine torpedo and sank, Sri Lanka rescued dozens of Iranian sailors for humanitarian reasons.