Colombo, March 20 -- Sri Lanka has declined requests from the United States to allow two military aircraft to land at Mattala International Airport earlier this month, with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake telling Parliament the move reflects Colombo's determination to stay neutral amid rising tensions linked to the Middle East conflict and broader Indian Ocean security concerns.

The president said the US sought clearance on March 4 and March 8 for two warplanes operating out of Djibouti, a strategic hub between the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Both requests were turned down. According to Dissanayake, the aircraft were equipped with eight anti-ship missiles. "We want to maintain our neutrality despite many pressures. We won't give in. The Middle East war poses challenges, but we will do everything possible to remain neutral," he said, adding, "They wanted to bring in two warplanes armed with eight anti-ship missiles from a base in Djibouti to the Mattala International Airport and we said no."

His remarks came a day after talks with US Special Envoy for South and Central Asia Sergio Gor, where both sides discussed maritime security, port protection,

trade cooperation and the vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific. Despite these engagements, Sri Lanka signalled it would resist any move that could draw it into military alignments.

The decision follows a deadly maritime incident off the southern coast near Galle on March 4, when a US submarine torpedoed the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena, killing 84 sailors. Thirty two survivors were rescued by the Sri Lankan Navy. The vessel had been returning from a naval exercise in India.

Days later, another Iranian ship, IRINS Bushehr, carrying 219 crew members, sought entry into Colombo port. Authorities redirected it to Trincomalee, while 204 sailors were accommodated at a naval facility near Colombo with temporary visas.

The developments have sparked debate within Sri Lanka over maritime conduct and the risks smaller nations face amid major power rivalries, alongside concerns about economic fallout affecting fuel supplies, remittances and tourism.with agency inputs

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.