The President of Sri Lanka addressed Parliament, rejecting a U.S. request to station fighter jets equipped with missiles at a civilian airport in early March. He emphasized that Sri Lanka must not be used as a tool in international conflicts following tensions in the Middle East.
Anura Kumara Dissanayake, President of Sri Lanka, stated to Parliament today (20 Mar) that the government decided to reject the U.S. request to deploy two fighter jets at Mattala International Airport in the country's south during early March. This decision aims to uphold political neutrality and prevent the country's territory from being used for military purposes.
President Dissanayake noted that the U.S. submitted the request on 26 February to bring fighter jets armed with eight anti-ship missiles from its base in Djibouti to Sri Lanka between 4-8 March. However, on the same day, Iranian authorities made a similar request to dock three warships in Colombo following military exercises in India.
Amid applause from parliament members, the Sri Lankan leader said, “At that time, we were considering Iran’s request. If we agreed to Iran, we would also have to agree to the U.S. But we chose to reject both sides to firmly uphold our stance of neutrality.”
This move comes as tensions in the Indian Ocean escalated after U.S. forces fired a torpedo at the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena off Sri Lanka's southern coast on 4 March, resulting in at least 84 Iranian crew deaths. The Sri Lankan Navy managed to rescue 32 survivors.
However, Sri Lanka allowed another Iranian ship, IRIS Bushehr, to enter its waters the following day for the safety of its 219 crew members, who are currently staying in Colombo.
This balancing act reflects Sri Lanka’s effort to maintain diplomatic relations between two major powers: the U.S., a primary export market for Sri Lanka, and Iran, the largest importer of Sri Lankan tea.
Source: AFP