SRI LANKA began transferring more than 200 sailors from an Iranian vessel to shore today after the ship sought assistance while anchored outside the country’s waters.

This comes as tensions mounted in the Indian Ocean following the sinking of an unarmed Iranian warship by a United States submarine.

Sri Lanka navy spokesman Commander Buddhika Sampath said the sailors of the IRIS Bushehr were being brought first to the port of Colombo and the ship would later be moved to an eastern port on the island.

The move by the Sri Lankan government to take over the vessel came after the US sank the IRIS Dena in international waters off Sri Lanka’s coast on Wednesday after it had participated in naval exercises hosted by India.

At least 74 countries had joined the events, according to India’s Defence Ministry, including the US navy, which conducted reconnaissance aircraft and maritime patrol drills.

The Indian navy said on Thursday that it had initiated search-and-rescue operations after receiving a distress signal from the Dena.

The Sri Lankan navy rescued 32 sailors and recovered 87 bodies after the attack.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called the sinking an “atrocity at sea” and said the US would “bitterly regret” the attack.