COLOMBO: Sri Lanka has declined a request from the United States to station its military aircraft at a local airport, according to media reports.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake told parliament that Washington had requested earlier this month to deploy two warplanes at Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport.
He revealed that the aircraft were equipped with anti-ship missiles and were planned to be relocated from a US base in Djibouti to Sri Lanka.
The president said the government clearly rejected the request.
The development comes amid reports that several US allies have also declined to participate in a potential conflict involving Iran.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump had reacted to such refusals by stating that the United States does not require assistance.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump has once again called on China, Japan and other countries to help ensure the reopening and security of the Strait of Hormuz amid ongoing tensions with Iran.
Speaking at a press conference in Washington, D.C., Trump said US forces were rapidly dismantling Iran’s defense systems and had sunk boats allegedly involved in laying naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
He noted that only about one percent of US oil shipments pass through the strait, while a much larger share of oil for countries like China and Japan travels through the strategic waterway.
