US/Israel-Iran War comes to Sri Lanka’s waters

Col R Hariharan |Op-Ed| Ceylon Today| 15 March 2026

https://ceylontoday.lk/2026/03/15/us-israel-iran-war-comes-to-sri-lankas-waters/

Nobody among the 74 nations, who participated in the largest edition of the Indian Navy’s multilateral naval Exercise MILAN from February 15 to 25 in Vishakapatnam in India, would have imagined it would usher in the US-Iran war to the Indian Ocean region. That is exactly what happened when one of the three Iranian Navy ships that had taken part in the International Fleet Review - IRIS Dena - ran into the sights of USS Charlotte (SSN-766) submarine on March 4. The US fast-attack submarine torpedoed and sank the Iranian warship, 40 km from the coast of Sri Lanka. Eighty-seven Iranian sailors were killed and 60 are reported missing. Sri Lankan Navy, which carried out a search and rescue mission picked up 32 survivors and the dead bodies.

In the 13^th edition of the Exercise, India had demonstrated its naval power with the participation of a carrier battle group led by INS Vikrant. A series of off-shore and on sea exercises were conducted with the participation of 42 warships (including 18 of them “friendly” foreign countries) and 29 naval aircraft. Ironically, the Sea Phase featured advanced anti-submarine warfare, air defence, maritime interdiction, cross-deck flying and live weapon firings.

The theme of the Exercise MILAN was 'Camaraderie, Cooperation, Collaboration'! Apart from Iran, major participants included the US, Russia, Japan, Australia, UK, France, Germany, the UAE and various ASEAN and IOR nations.

The sinking of the Iranian frigate that had participated as a guest in a friendly exercise hosted by India in the Indian Ocean has raised both moral, legal and ethical issues in the cynical world of nations waging wars.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry officially labelled the torpedoing as an atrocity at sea and a war crime.  Iran claimed the vessel was in international waters and was unarmed or lightly armed for its participation in the naval review. Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Aragachi has warned the US would bitterly regret the precedent set by the attack on a vessel returning from a diplomatic mission.

As expected, President Donald Trump was flippant in his comments on the sinking while addressing the Republican Members Issues Conference in Florida on March 9, 2026. He recounted a conversation with military officials where he asked why they were sinking "top of the line" Iranian ships instead of capturing them for US use. He claimed the officials told him it was "more fun to sink them" and safer than attempting a capture. He bragged that the US Navy had destroyed 46 Iranian naval ships in just three and a half days, stating, "Their Navy is gone, it's all lying at the bottom of the ocean." Trump emphasized that the US would continue until Iran was "totally and decisively defeated," dismissing the need for "restraint.” Though he trivialised Iran choking international energy tankers from transit at the Straits of Hormuz, its daily transit there has plummeted to 92%. 

There is no doubt the sinking of the Iranian warship that had participated as a guest in an Indian naval exercise has caused a strategic embarrassment to India. This was evident from India maintaining a strategic silence on the sinking of IRIS Dena. While PM Narendra Modi did not say anything, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar commented that the sinking was part of the "reality of the Indian Ocean." "When [Iranian sailors] set out and came here, the situation was totally different. They were coming in for a fleet review. And then they got, in a way, caught on the wrong side of events," Jaishankar added. India has permitted another Iranian warship, IRIS Lavan, to dock at Kochi on humanitarian grounds following the US sub attack of IRIS Dena. It reflects New Delhi’s stand on the US/Israel war on Iran: avoiding taking sides, calling for restraint, de-escalation and a return to dialogue.

The comments of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake reflected the dilemma of South Asian nations in commenting on the war against Iran. He emphasized Sri Lanka’s neutrality in the conflict and its actions were solely based on humanitarian grounds. Sri Lanka took the rare step of “interning” another Iranian naval vessel IRIS Bushehr and its 208 members in Trincomalee harbour after it sought refuge. Interning refers to the legal process where Sri Lanka, a neutral country, takes custody of a belligerent nation's warship and its crew to prevent them from returning to active combat. This is a formal obligation under the 1907 Hague Convention, which dictates how neutral powers must handle foreign military assets that seek refuge in their territory during an armed conflict.  Evidently, Sri Lanka does not want to be seen offending POTUS Trump.

Moreover, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed to have destroyed at least 10 advanced American radar systems to "blind" U.S. surveillance and missile defence. Satellite imagery and official statements seem to have confirmed them. These include:

• Qatar: The AN/FPS-132 early-warning radar near Al-Khor, valued at approximately $1.1 billion.
• Jordan: A $300 million AN/TPY-2 radar (part of the THAAD missile defence system) at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base.
• Saudi Arabia: At a radar site near Prince Sultan Air Base, where a THAAD battery tent was charred.
• United Arab Emirates: At Al Ruwais and Al Sader bases tents  which host THAAD components were set on fire.

• Bahrain: In the US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Manama, satellite communication (SATCOM) terminals.
• Kuwait: Reports indicate damage to communication structures at Ali al Salem Air Base and the destruction of radomes at Camp Arifjan.

There is no sign of the War ending soon though it is two weeks since it started. On March 12, 2026 Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian outlined three specific conditions for ending the ongoing conflict with the US and Israel following his discussions with leaders from Russia and Pakistan.  These include the recognition of Iran’s legitimate rights – sovereignty and specific regional rights including the right to a civilian nuclear programme. Payment of reparations to Iran for the damages and losses caused by the belligerents during the conflict is the second condition. Thirdly, Iran sought firm international guarantees against future aggression.

POTUS Trump is in no mood to accept any conditional end to the war; he is calling total surrender of the Iranian regime. US Secretary of Defense Peter Hegseth’s latest press briefing held on Friday, March 13, 2026, provided updates on Operation Epic Fury, the military campaign against Iran. He claimed that the US and Israel have struck over 15,000 targets in the first two weeks of conflict. He claimed that Iran’s missile volume is down by 90% and their one-way drone attack volume has decreased by 95%. Hegseth emphasized that the US policy of adopting a decisive and aggressive military stance has drawn criticism from international rights groups.

However, India’s EAM Jaishankar’s parleys with his Iranian counterpart seems to have succeeded in persuading Iran to allow oil tankers destined for India struck at Straits of Hormuz. With POTUS “allowing” the sale of Russian oil to India and others for the time being, India seems to have warded off serious gas and petroleum shortages for the time being. Hopefully, India will heed the call for meeting the energy needs of its smaller neighbours like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Maldives.

The crisis in GCC, has dislocated Sri Lankan tourism industry plans, which had ended the year 2025 on a very bright note. Unfortunately, the war in GCC came at the wrong time when remittances from Sri Lankan expatriates were touching a new high. One can only hope with the blessings of Satara varan devi - four guardian deities of Sri Lanka - help the War to end soon. 

Sri Lanka: Bringing Easter Sunday Attack case to a closure

 Col R Hariharan

Sri Lanka Perspectives February 2026 | South Asia Security Trends, March 2026 |https://www.security-risks.com  

Will the arrest of Sri Lanka’s former intelligence chief Major General Suresh Salley in the last week of the month, in connection with the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks that killed nearly 270 people, bring to a closure of cases pending for the  last seven years?  I am not too sure because Gen Salley’s arrest is under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), with investigators claiming there is “adequate evidence” linking him to the bombings.

When I look at the loose ends left in the Easter Sunday attack cases for the last seven years, I cannot help quoting Winston Churchill who said “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” He was referring to the November 1942 Allied victory at the Second Battle of El Alamein, a turning point in the North African campaign of World War II. The phrase reflected his cautious optimism of when the tide was beginning to turn, but the war was far from over. Hopefully, the long overdue arrest of Gen Salley is the beginning of the process of bringing long overdue cases to a closure.

Comparison with India’s 26/11 attacks

I cannot help comparing the follow-up actions taken after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks by India (2008) and the Easter Sunday attacks by Sri Lanka (2019). There are similarities between both cases. Both were carried out by Jihadi terrorists. Intelligence failure featured as the common cause of both the terrorist attacks.  

In India’s case there was a lack of cohesive assessment mechanism, despite various intelligence agencies providing the police with bits and pieces of information. In Sri Lanka’s case it was much worse; Indian intelligence had provided the details of the impending attack, well in advance as well as on the day of the attack. These included date, time, target and persons involved in the attacks.

After the attacks took place India’s response was institutional and outward-facing, focusing on strengthening counter-terrorism capacity and isolating Pakistan diplomatically. In Sri Lanka’s case the response was internal and accountability-driven, with delayed high-profile arrests of intelligence officials, reflecting political entanglements and contested narratives.

India’s actions

Following the 26/11 Mumbai attacks in 2008, several high-level inquiries and investigations were ordered at both the state and national levels to identify security lapses and prosecute the perpetrators. The Government of Maharashtra appointed a two-member High-Level Enquiry Committee (HLEC), commonly known as the Pradhan Committee, a month after the attack. Its objective was to investigate the response of the Mumbai Police, identify lapses in acting on intelligence, and suggest measures to prevent future attacks. It found leadership failure of the police commissioner as well as systemic lapses like mechanical forwarding of intelligence reports without proper analysis. It also noted that coastal security was neglected.

A year later, India created the National Investigation Agency (NIA) as the country’s first federal agency for investigating and prosecuting terrorism related cases. The Maharashtra government created Force One, an elite specialized counter-terrorism unit modelled after the National Security Guard (NSG).

The Mumbai Police Crime Branch conducted the primary investigation into the attacks, leading to an 11,280-page chargesheet and the successful prosecution and execution of the terrorist Ajmal Kasab, who was caught. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) sent a rapid deployment team to Mumbai on November 29, 2008, to assist Indian authorities and investigate the deaths of six American citizens.

The NIA conducted a week-long interrogation of Pakistani-American David Coleman Headley in Chicago in 2010 after his arrest by the FBI. This investigation provided critical evidence of the involvement of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and individual officers from Pakistan's ISI. 

After the 26/11 attacks, Pakistan came under international pressure and its Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) launched its own probe. It led to the arrest of seven individuals, including LeT operational chief Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi. However, this investigation eventually stalled due to frequent changes in judges and legal delays. 

To put in a nutshell, India created the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2009 to improve coordination and assessment of information received from various agencies. India strengthened coastal security and marine policing and streamlined the deployment of NSG hubs in major cities.

The aftermath of the 26/11 attack is still lingering among Indian administrators. After the attacks, Home Minister P Chidambaram wanted to create the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) modelled after the US NCTC. It was to be the apex body under the Intelligence Bureau (IB) with powers to search, seize, and arrest across India. However, the concept was shelved after several chief ministers of states opposed it as they considered it a violation of federal structure.

However, the concept has been revived by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) with the adoption of PRAHAAR – Policy for Response Against Hostile Activities and Radicalism – as India’s first comprehensive national counter terrorism policy unveiled on February 23, 2026.

Sri Lanka’s actions after the attacks

Sri Lanka took three actions in the wake of Easter Sunday attacks. It increased the military presence, arrested suspects linked to National Thowheeth Jama’ath (NTJ) and banned extremist groups. Zahran Hashim radical preacher who led the suicide squad died in the explosion at the Shangri-La Hotel during the 2019 attacks.

Scotland Yard and the FBI were involved in the follow-up investigations of the Easter Sunday terror attacks. Their contributions yielded several worthwhile results, especially in forensic analysis, network mapping and uncovering ideological links.

The FBI’s 72-page affidavit filed in the U.S. District Court in Dec 2020 offered a detailed forensic account of the attacks, including bomb composition and digital communications. The FBI traced ideological and operational links between the attackers and transnational ISIS extremist networks. It helped recover deleted communications and encrypted data from the devices used by bombers and their handlers. The FBI affidavit became a key document in international legal cooperation and intelligence sharing.

Scotland Yard helped Sri Lanka police structure the investigation and advised on securing digital evidence. They also assisted in identifying the chemical composition of the bombs (urea nitrate-based), linking them to known jihadist methods. Scotland Yard also provided strategic guidance on profiling extremist cells and understanding radicalization pathways in South Asia.

The prosecution process has been marked by several distinct phases and delays. Criminal prosecution of the main trial against 25 men, including alleged mastermind Mohamed Naufar with ISIS links, started in November 2021. Prosecutors filed more than 23,000 charges against these suspects, involving over 1,200 witnesses. Although indictments were served in October 2021, the trial faced several postponements due to the massive number of charges. There were also “practical issues” like lack of Tamil-speaking lawyers and translated documents. So the case that began in 2021 is still going on. 

Former National Police Chief Pujith Jayasundara and former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando were tried in separate ‘trial at bar’ proceedings. Both officials were acquitted on February 18, 2022, after the court found insufficient evidence to convict them.

In January 2023, Sri Lanka's Supreme Court found former President Maithripala Sirisena and four other top officials negligent handling of information led to the attacks. The court ordered them to pay approximately Rs 310 million (roughly $1 million) in compensation to the victims' families in civil action.

Developments after 2024

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in late 2024 ordered the launch of a fresh investigation to identify "masterminds" and potential political links to the master minds. While there have been no high-profile convictions of "masterminds" for the Easter Sunday attacks, there have been significant new prosecutions and arrests targeting high-level state and paramilitary figures previously accused of being "architects" of the bombings. 

That includes not only Gen Salley but also Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan (alias "Pillayan") arrested on April 8, 2025. Though initially detained on other charges, the government informed Parliament that new evidence links Pillayan's paramilitary network directly to the 2019 attacks, specifically in recruiting and supporting the bombers. Similarly, Lt Gen Hendavitharana, former Head of Military Intelligence, is being investigated for alleged strategic oversight and suspicious communications around the time of the attacks.

Salley is alleged to have aided and conspired in the Easter Sunday attacks. Do the investigators have any evidence against him beyond the claim of a whistleblower of Salley's involvement with a local Islamist group in a 2023 Channel 4 documentary?

The allegations against Salley centre around his close relation with Gotabaya Rajapaksa. It is alleged Salley wanted to stoke Islamists to cause insecurity and create conditions favourable for Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s presidential campaign.

India brought visible judicial closure with the execution of terrorist Kasab, and took constructive action to improve the system. Sri Lanka’s politically oriented process has interfered with the investigative process. This has skewed its systemic process affecting the handling of terror attacks. Will the arrest of Salley lead to final closure? One can only hope President Dissanayake is able to bring the Easter Sunday attack cases to a closure and punish the actual criminals.

[Col R Hariharan VSM, a retired MI specialist on South Asia and terrorism, served as the head of intelligence of the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka 1987-90. He is associated with the Chennai Centre for China Studies. Website: https://.col.hariharan@net  Email: haridirect@gmail.com,]