Middle East war spills over to Indian Ocean, adjacent to Sri Lanka

By Kelum Bandara  

Indian Ocean security appears to be in jeopardy after an Iranian warship sank  just outside Sri Lanka’s territorial waters in the midst of war flaring up in the Middle East following the United States and Israel attack on Iran, which launched retaliatory strikes.  

The Sri Lanka Navy received the distress call since the incident happened well within its Search and Rescue Region and also within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).   

According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), a coastal State’s duty is to conduct effective search and rescue services and ensure assistance to persons in distress at sea.  

Therefore, if a ship encounters trouble within Sri Lanka’s EEZ, authorities are duty-bound to coordinate rescue operations to safeguard lives.  

However, the EEZ is not sovereign territory. Unlike the territorial sea — which extends 12 nautical miles from the coast — the EEZ stretches up to 200 nautical miles and grants the coastal State sovereign rights only for resource exploration and economic activity. Freedom of navigation remains intact for all States.  

Sri Lanka navy said it responded to the distress call in terms of the UNCLOS and the International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue. According to the Navy, the cause of the distress will be investigated later.  

Sri Lanka is at the heart of the Indian Ocean sea lanes, just south of India, adjacent to one of the world’s busiest East–West maritime trade routes linking Europe and the Middle East with East Asia. Nearly two-thirds of global oil shipments and a significant share of container traffic pass close to its shores. This location gives Sri Lanka enduring relevance in global trade and naval strategy.  

The United States has already viewed that Sri Lanka has outsized importance because of its location. It has become a theatre of influence among major powers such as China, India, and the United States.