By a special correspondent
A suspected U.S. submarine attack on an Iranian naval vessel off Sri Lanka’s southern coast has triggered an environmental scare, diplomatic questions, and renewed scrutiny over Colombo’s uneasy balancing act between global powers.
The Iranian warship IRIS Dena was reportedly torpedoed on March 4 by the U.S. submarine USS Charlotte (SSN-766) while sailing about 40 nautical miles south of Sri Lanka after participating in the multinational naval event International Fleet Review 2026 in Visakhapatnam, India.
Three days later, thick oil patches began appearing along the tourist coastline of Hikkaduwa, alarming fishers, hoteliers, and environmental groups.
Officials from the Marine Environmental Protection Authority (MEPA) say cleanup teams, assisted by the Sri Lanka Navy and Sri Lanka Coast Guard, have removed most of the visible oil slick. Nevertheless authorities have stopped short of confirming whether the pollution originated from the destroyed Iranian vessel.
Satellite monitoring by the Spanish environmental firm Orbital EOS indicates the slick first appeared on March 5 and extended nearly 18 kilometers, drifting toward coastal settlements south of Hikkaduwa.
For local fishers, the consequences were immediate.
“When oil spreads across the water surface, fish avoid the area and nets become unusable,” said fisheries activist. “Even a small spill can destroy several days of fishing.”
Tourism operators are equally concerned. The Hikkaduwa coast is one of Sri Lanka’s most visited beach destinations, attracting thousands of foreign visitors during the peak season from December 2025 to March 2026.
An extended spill could damage coral reefs, harm sea turtles that frequently surface near the shore, and disrupt spawning grounds for fish larvae during the critical March-April breeding period.
But beyond the environmental threat lies a larger geopolitical question: why has Sri Lanka remained silent about the alleged U.S. military action so close to its maritime zone?
Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, coastal states have the right to protect marine resources within their Exclusive Economic Zones and may demand accountability for pollution caused by foreign vessels or military operations.
An Environmental lawyer argues that if the oil spill is proven to originate from the sunken Iranian vessel, responsibility could extend to those responsible for the attack.
“The polluter-pays principle applies under international environmental law,” he said. “If military action caused pollution, then compensation and diplomatic action should follow.”
However, Colombo’s response has been cautious.
The current government led by the National People’s Power coalition and the Marxist-rooted Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna came to power promising an independent foreign policy. Yet Sri Lanka remains economically dependent on Western financial institutions and strategic partnerships with the United States.
Analysts say confronting Washington over a naval incident could risk diplomatic fallout at a time when the country is still struggling to stabilize its fragile economy.
For communities along the southern coast, however, the geopolitical calculations matter little.
“What we see is oil in the water and fewer fish,” one fisherman said. “Whoever caused it should take responsibility.”