Sri Lanka Defies US Request to Land Missile-Armed Warplanes Amid Indian Ocean Tensions
2 min learnColomboMar 20, 2026 10:45 PM IST
Sri Lanka refused permission for the US to land two of its warplanes within the island’s southeast Mattala Worldwide Airport in early March, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake instructed Parliament right here on Friday.
Dissanayake stated that two US warplanes from Djibouti requested for permission to come back to Sri Lanka on March 4 and eight. Each requests had been rejected, he stated.
“We need to preserve our neutrality regardless of many pressures. We gained’t give in. The Center East battle poses challenges however we’ll do every part potential to stay impartial,” he stated.
“They needed to herald two warplanes armed with eight anti-ship missiles from base in Djibouti to the Mattala Worldwide Airport and we stated no,” the Sri Lankan president stated.
Dissanayake’s assertion comes a day after his assembly with US Particular Envoy for South and Central Asia Sergio Gor.
The 2 leaders mentioned US efforts to safeguard important sea lanes and safe ports, reinforce mutually useful commerce and industrial ties, and advance a free, open, and affluent Indo-Pacific, an announcement stated.
On March 4, the US torpedoed the Iranian frigate Iris Dena off Galle, the island’s southern coastal city, killing 84 sailors whereas 32 had been rescued.
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The ship was returning house from Visakhapatnam in India after a naval fleet evaluate train.
Two days later, a second Iranian vessel, Iris Bushehr, sought entry to Colombo port with 219 sailors.
Sri Lanka requested the vessel to be diverted to the japanese port of Trincomalee from its anchor outdoors the port right here. A complete of 204 of the sailors at the moment are accommodated on the Naval facility close to Colombo. PTI CORR GSP GSP 03201326
