ADVERTISEMENTIt said, “Sri Lankan authorities should minimise Iranian attempts to use the detainees for propaganda.”The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Representatives for Anura Kumara Dissanayake's office and Sri Lanka’s foreign ministry were not immediately available for comment. The cable said Howell also told the Israeli ambassador to India and Sri Lanka that there was no plan to repatriate the crew to Iran. The envoy asked Howell whether there had been any engagement with the crew to encourage “defection”, the cable said. The State Department cable said the second vessel, the Booshehr, would remain in Sri Lankan custody for the duration of the conflict.

Source: The Telegraph March 07, 2026 05:15 UTC