COLOMBO, March 20, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Sri Lanka refused permission to the United States to station two of its warplanes at a civilian airport in the island's south in early March, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said on Friday. He said the United States made the request on February 26. "We were still considering the Iranian request to bring the three ships to Colombo from March 9 to 13. Had we said 'yes' to Iran, we would have had to say 'yes' to the US too," he said. Sri Lanka maintains close ties with both the United States, the island's main export market, and Iran, the main buyer of Sri Lankan tea.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha March 20, 2026 14:32 UTC