Sri Lanka Defies US Pressure on Stranded Iranian Tankers

Sri Lanka has clarified that US secondary sanctions are global in nature and not specifically targeted at the country. This clarification comes as around 20 Iranian oil tankers remain stranded off Sri Lanka's south-western coast, with some facing shortages of food, fuel, and fresh water.

The Foreign Ministry spokesman Thushara Rodrigo stated that 'The US has issued secondary sanctions as their own common policy perspective which is applying globally and do not target only Sri Lanka or any specific country.'

This clarification follows a Wall Street Journal report that said US officials had pressed Sri Lanka to stop local companies from servicing the tankers. The report also mentioned that around 20 Iranian tankers were stranded off Sri Lanka's coast, with some facing shortages of essential supplies.

The US Embassy in Colombo had earlier informed the Sri Lankan government that it was tracking 19 Iranian tankers off the country's western coast and warned that companies servicing sanctioned vessels could face US secondary sanctions.