Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake officially informed Parliament that his government turned down a request from the United States to land two missile-capable fighter jets at Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport. The request, which arrived on February 26, sought permission for the aircraft to transit from a base in Djibouti between March 4 and March 8. President Dissanayake emphasized that Sri Lanka maintains a strictly neutral stance in the ongoing conflict between the US-Israel alliance and Iran, refusing to allow its territory to be used in any way that supports or undermines any party involved in the hostilities.
The regional situation has become increasingly complex following a series of maritime incidents in the Indian Ocean. On March 4, a US submarine reportedly attacked and sank the Iranian warship IRIS Dena off the coast of Sri Lanka, resulting in 150 casualties. Additionally, the Sri Lankan Navy rescued 204 crew members from another Iranian vessel, IRIS Bushehr, which had stalled due to technical issues while returning from the Milan 2026 naval exercises in Visakhapatnam. These events have placed Sri Lanka at the center of a geopolitical tug-of-war, as the nation balances its humanitarian obligations with its diplomatic neutrality.
Reports suggest that Washington has also been exerting pressure on Colombo regarding the fate of the rescued Iranian sailors. According to a Reuters report, the US urged Sri Lanka not to repatriate the crew members immediately, fearing that Tehran might use their return for favorable propaganda. Despite these external pressures, the Sri Lankan leadership has reiterated its commitment to international law and non-alignment. The president’s firm refusal to grant landing rights for US military assets underscores Sri Lanka’s determination to avoid being drawn into the escalating “Iran War” that continues to intensify across the Middle East and surrounding waters.
