Sri Lanka denied US request to land armed fighter jets, says President Dissanayake

New Delhi: While Sri Lanka is being blamed for delaying docking permission to an Iranian warship, which was eventually sunk by a US Navy submarine, killing several sailors, Colombo had also declined permission to the US to land two of its fighter jets at the Mattala International Airport early March, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake told Parliament on Friday.

Dissanayake said two US warplanes from Djibouti sought permission to come to Sri Lanka on March 4 and 8.

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"Both requests were rejected," he said. "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."

"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," Dissanayake said.

Dissanayake's statement comes a day after his meeting with US Special Envoy for South and Central Asia Sergio Gor. The two leaders discussed US efforts to safeguard vital sea lanes and secure ports, reinforce mutually beneficial trade and commercial ties, and advance a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific, according to a statement.

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It may be recalled that the Iran war had already started when the US sought permission for its fighter jets to land in Sri Lanka. Colombo shares decades-old ties with Iran including in the energy sector.

In 2024, Sri Lanka handed over the operation of the loss-making Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport in Hambantota to a joint venture between India's Shaurya Aeronautics and Russia's Airports of Regions. The 30-year management contract, awarded in April 2024, is aimed at reviving traffic in the facility.