Facing growing criticism for not allowing the Iran’s IRIS Dena to dock at a Sri Lankan port before the warship was torpedoed on 4 March by United States (US), Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake confirmed in Parliament on 21 March that Sri Lanka had rejected similar requests from both Iran and the US, calling the decision a sign of the country’s neutral stand.
At least 87 sailors were killed when Iran’s IRIS Dena was torpedoed by a US submarine, bringing the conflict closer to Sri Lankan waters in the Indian ocean.
The fresh confirmation from Colombo comes just days after Spain and Switzerland too rebuffed the United States on similar grounds.
In today’s Explained, we look at countries pushing back against US hegemony, and Sri Lanka’s pledge to prevent its territory being used against India.
Why did Sri Lanka refuse Iran and the US request to use its territory?
Responding to criticism over an 11-hour delay in granting docking permission to three Iranian naval vessels, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said Sri Lanka had also denied a US request to allow two fighter jets to land at Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport.
The United States and Israel carried out military strikes on Iran on 28 February. War in West Asia has continued since.
There were two requests before us—one for Iranian vessels to dock between March 9 and 13, and another from the US to allow two warplanes to land. What were we supposed to do? As a neutral country, we refused both. That is impartiality.
Dissanayake also dismissed claims that prior agreements with the US had influenced the delay in handling the Iranian request.
A US State Department cable, reported by Reuters, said American officials had urged Sri Lanka not to send back survivors from the Dena or the crew of the Bushehr, adding to diplomatic pressure on Colombo.
The Indian Ocean remains strategically important for global trade and energy routes, and is a key area of focus for the US as tensions with Iran rise.
Who is Sri Lankan President (AKD), who once promised his territory would NOT be used against India?
Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) is the current President of Sri Lanka (since September 2024) and a leftist, anti-establishment leader who rose to power after the country’s 2022 economic crisis.
During his first foreign visit to India in November 2024, Dissanayake assured Prime Minister Narendra Modi that:
I have given an assurance to the Prime Minister...that we will not have our land... used in...a manner that is detrimental to the interest of India.
President Disanayake reiterated Sri Lanka's stated position of not permitting its territory to be used in any manner inimical to the security of India as well as towards regional stability.
The fact that the Sri Lankan President—widely seen as being pro-China—had clearly articulated the—‘no-anti India use of its territory’—was seen as a relief to India.
Why did the US seek to land warplane in Sri Lanka?
According to the Sri Lankan President, the US sought to fly two warplanes equipped with eight anti-ship missiles from its base in Djibouti, Africa.
They only asked for an airport facility to park.
Said, Sri Lanka’s minister of foreign affairs.
In a later message, he added that the United States was “surprised but not upset,” noting that the two countries remained on good terms, reported New York Times.
Why did Spain also deny the US access to its military bases?
On 2 March, just two days after the US and Israel struck Iran on 28 February, Spain refused to allow the US to use jointly operated military bases on its soil for further attacks, as Madrid criticised the "unjustified and dangerous military intervention."
The bases are not being used - nor will they be used - for anything that is not in the agreement [with the US], nor for anything that isn't covered by the UN charter.
There is a deal with the US over these bases, but our understanding of the deal is that operations have to comply with international legal frameworks and that there has to be international support for them
Spain’s Defence Minister told reporters.
"Today, more than ever, it's vital to remember that you can be against a hateful regime - as Spanish society is as a whole when it comes to the Iranian regime - and, at the same time, against an unjustified and dangerous military intervention that is outside international law," he said.
Why did Switzerland immediately block arms exports to the US during the Iran war?
By 20 March, Switzerland had joined others opposing what it described as U.S. aggression against Iran, blocking any new arms sales to the US in line with its long-standing policy of strict neutrality toward countries involved in armed conflict.
The export of war materiel to countries involved in the international armed conflict with Iran cannot be authorized for the duration of the conflict.
the Swiss government said in a statement, as reported by The New York Times.
"Exports of war materiel to the USA cannot currently be authorized.
The Swiss government said it has not approved any new licences for arms exports to the United States since the war began on 28 February, adding that an interdepartmental body will regularly review such sales to determine whether any action is required under Swiss neutrality laws.
Why did UK initially refuse, then allow, the US to use its bases?'
By March 2, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer had initially refused to allow US forces to use British airbases, citing concerns over the legality of the strikes.
“The US has requested permission to use British bases for that specific and limited defensive purpose.”
"We have taken the decision to accept this request - to prevent Iran firing missiles across the region.. killing innocent civilians.. putting British lives at risk.. and hitting countries that have not been involved."
He added that British jets were already airborne as part of coordinated defensive operations, which he said had "already successfully intercepted Iranian strikes".
In a joint statement with France and Germany, the UK said: "We will take steps to defend our interests and those of our allies in the region, potentially through enabling necessary and proportionate defensive action to destroy Iran's capability to fire missiles and drones at their source."
However, Donald Trump criticised the decision, saying the UK had taken "far too long" to allow US forces to use its bases.
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