* Sailors from 19 ships brought ashore at Galle Harbour

Sri Lanka coordinated the rescue of 40 Iranian sailors from multiple commercial ships in international waters off the coast of the country and supported their return to Iran, a spokesman for the island nation's foreign ministry said on Sunday.



The ministry received a request from the Iranian embassy via diplomatic channels to rescue the sailors,



Thushara Rodrigo, a spokesman for the ministry, said, adding they had been suffering unspecified medical emergencies.



The ministry didn't give any further details of why they had to be rescued but local media including Indian national newspaper The Hindu reported they were on board vessels which were US-sanctioned oil tankers.



Washington has imposed a blockade on Iranian shipping as part of its war on Iran.



The sailors from 19 ships were brought ashore at Galle Harbour, about 126 km from commercial capital Colombo, and were given medical treatment before returning to Iran early on Sunday morning.