STORY: A Sri Lankan navy boat brought crew members of IRIS Booshehr, an Iranian naval auxiliary vessel, ashore at Colombo Port, as seen in a handout video on Thursday (March 5).

Iranian sailors were seen dragging suitcases and carrying bags as they disembarked in Sri Lanka, in a video shared by the Presidential Media Division.

Booshehr was experiencing engine problems, according to a Sri Lankan government source and another government official. Both asked not to be named given the sensitivity of the issue.

The crew were then moved in groups to a navy camp in Welisara, about 18 km (10 miles) away, the officials added.

The United States is pressing Sri Lanka's government not to repatriate the survivors from an Iranian warship it sank earlier this week, as well as the crew of the Booshehr, according to an internal State Department cable seen by Reuters on Friday.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: AT SEA, SRI LANKA (MARCH 5, 2026) (SRI LANKA NAVY HANDOUT VIA PRESIDENTIAL MEDIA DIVISION - Access all)

1. SRI LANKAN NAVY SHIP MOVING TOWARDS IRANIAN AUXILIARY VESSEL IRIS BOOSHEHR

2. BOOSHEHR

3. VARIOUS OF SRI LANKAN NAVY BOAT APPROACHING BOOSHEHR

4. (NIGHT SHOT) SRI LANKAN NAVY BOAT BESIDE BOOSHEHR

5. (NIGHT SHOT) BOOSHEHR CREW SEEN ON SRI LANKAN NAVY BOAT

COLOMBO, SRI LANKA (MARCH 5, 2026) (SRI LANKA NAVY HANDOUT VIA PRESIDENTIAL MEDIA DIVISION - Access all)

6. (NIGHT SHOTS) VARIOUS OF SRI LANKAN NAVY BOAT WITH BOOSHEHR CREW ARRIVING AT COLOMBO PORT

7. (MUTE) VARIOUS OF BOOSHEHR CREW WAITING TO DISEMBARK FROM SRI LANKAN NAVY BOAT

8. (MUTE) BOOSHEHR CREW DISEMBARKING FROM SRI LANKAN NAVY BOAT