Sri Lanka’s government says that it has no immediate plans to help 19 Iranian ships that have been anchored in the international waters near the island nation facing food, water and fuel shortages.
A second Iranian ship was brought to a Sri Lankan port after its crew reported technical problems. The ship was returning home after taking part in a naval exercise on invitation from India. Sri Lanka is emerging from an economic crisis, and both the U.S. and Iran are crucial trading partners. The U.S. played an important role in assisting with an International Monetary Fund bailout deal and helping the agricultural sector to avert a food crisis.
Rodrigo said that the ships are stationed 24 nautical miles from Sri Lanka’s coast and have reported shortages of food, water and fuel.
Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told the local Sunday Times newspaper that the ships are Iranian oil tankers and that they have been anchored off Sri Lanka for the past several months after the U.S. resumed its naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, leaving dozens of Iranian vessels stranded and unable to return home.
