Sri Lanka rejects US request to land fighter jets at Mattala airport

Sri Lanka has denied a request from the United States to allow two fighter jets to land at Mattala International Airport, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake confirmed.

Speaking in parliament, Dissanayake said Colombo received two separate requests on February 26 — one from Iran seeking permission for three naval vessels to make a goodwill visit, and another from the US requesting clearance for two fighter aircraft based near Djibouti to land in the country, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.

“With two requests before us, the decision was clear,” he said, explaining that both were rejected to maintain neutrality amid rising regional tensions.

The decision came just days before the outbreak of the US-Israel war on Iran, as Sri Lanka sought to avoid taking sides in the escalating conflict.

Earlier in March, tensions spilled into the Indian Ocean when a US submarine sank the Iranian warship IRIS Dena near Sri Lanka, killing dozens of sailors. Sri Lankan authorities later recovered bodies and rescued survivors, while additional crew members from another Iranian vessel were evacuated after seeking assistance.

The developments have placed Sri Lanka in a delicate position, as the country continues to balance relations with both Washington and Tehran while maintaining its stance of neutrality.

News.Az 

By Nijat Babayev