A fierce political storm erupted in Colombo on Saturday after former minister and National Freedom Front leader Wimal Weerawansa accused India of drawing Sri Lanka into the unfolding crisis involving Iranian naval vessels in the Indian Ocean.

Speaking to the media on March 7, Weerawansa claimed that the attack on the Iranian naval vessel IRIS Dena had taken place with the knowledge of India’s external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), raising questions about how the visiting Iranian ships were allowed to sail into danger after participating in India’s recent fleet review.

“We all know how agile India’s RAW intelligence is,” Weerawansa said. “It warned Sri Lanka about the Easter Sunday attacks two days in advance. So how could it not know that Iranian ships invited by India were going to be attacked?”

The Iranian vessels had travelled to India at New Delhi’s invitation to take part in the international fleet review. However, he alleged that after the event concluded the ships were allowed to depart despite what he suggested may have been prior knowledge of an impending U.S. naval strike.

“Morally speaking, the first fault lies with India,” he said. “It was India that got Sri Lanka embroiled in this Iranian ship issue. India shouldn’t be trusted for five cents”, he said.

The attack on IRIS Dena has since triggered a chain of developments that placed Sri Lanka unexpectedly at the centre of a rapidly widening geopolitical confrontation.

Following the incident at sea, Sri Lanka evacuated more than 200 crew members from a second Iranian naval vessel, IRIS Bushehr, which had sought assistance while anchored near Colombo. The rescued sailors were brought ashore for humanitarian assistance before the vessel was escorted towards Trincomalee.

Iran’s Foreign Minister later thanked Sri Lanka for the rescue operation.

Now, Washington has urged Sri Lankan authorities to limit the possibility of Iran using the rescued sailors for propaganda purposes while urging Sri Lanka to not execute the repatriation of the Iranian crew.

Weerawansa alleged that the episode revealed how Sri Lanka was being pulled into the strategic calculations of larger powers.

“When the second Iranian ship first sought permission to enter Sri Lankan waters, our authorities consulted the U.S. Embassy in Colombo,” he said. “They were told that if the vessel entered Sri Lanka, it could face an air attack.”

According to his account, Sri Lanka initially informed Iranian diplomatic representatives that the ship could not be allowed to dock.

Weerawansa claimed that the decision was later reconsidered following appeals made through political intermediaries and subsequent discussions between Sri Lankan authorities and the U.S. Embassy.

“But now we see a ‘no repatriation’ stance emerging from Washington,” he said. “Why? Because the United States is looking for a way to become a direct stakeholder in this conflict from Sri Lankan territory.”

He further argued that the crisis had exposed the risks associated with Sri Lanka’s undisclosed defence arrangements with India.

Sri Lanka had recently signed a defence cooperation agreement with India, though its contents have not yet been presented to parliament.

“The country does not know what is in that agreement,” Weerawansa said. “The Foreign Minister himself said it cannot be shown without India’s permission.”

He also noted India’s strategic alignment with the United States through defence agreements and its participation in the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD), arguing that Sri Lanka could inadvertently become entangled in those broader alliances.

“In such a backdrop Sri Lanka has now landed in a Catch-22 situation,” he said.

The controversy gained further attention on the international stage during the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi on March 7, where India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar was questioned about whether the sinking of a visiting warship during a U.S.-Iran confrontation undermined India’s claim to be a “net security provider” in the region.

Jaishankar dismissed the question as “non-serious,” saying he would respond only to queries that took the “ground situation” into account.

With shipping lanes under threat and military operations intensifying, analysts say smaller states situated along critical maritime routes are increasingly being forced to deal with the competing strategic interests of major powers.

For Sri Lanka, the rescue of the Iranian sailors may have been a humanitarian gesture.

But according to Weerawansa, the episode could be only the beginning of a much larger geopolitical drama.

“Don’t rush to say this was handled in a statesman-like manner,” he warned. “What we are seeing may only be the interlude. The next episode may still be ahead,” Weerawansa warned.

According to a Hiru TV news report yesterday, the channel contacted the US State Department. In response, the State Department’s media office has stated that, under the circumstances, the US respects Sri Lanka’s sovereignty. It also has noted that it expects Sri Lanka to act in accordance with international laws while ensuring security, following its acceptance of the Iranian sailors from the IRIS Bushehr.

By Sanath Nanayakkare