Sri Lanka Weighs U.S. Sanction Risks As Stranded Iranian Ships Run Low On Supplies

At least 19 Iranian cargo ships are stranded off Sri Lanka with fuel, food, and water supplies running low. However, the government is prioritising national interests over humanitarian concerns by ignoring the crisis, as helping the vessels could result in the imposition of U.S. sanctions.

Spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, Thushara Rodrigo, said the ships remain at anchor approximately 24 nautical miles from Sri Lanka.

He added that companies are aware of sanctions risks, which have prevented them from offering resupply services, though Sri Lanka did not formally receive any message from Washington asking it not to help or warning of consequences if it decides to.

Shipping agents in Dubai have repeatedly requested Sri Lankan firms to assist local companies; however, they have refused, stating that getting approval for the same could mean complexities and risk their operations, sources suggest.

A ship repair firm in Sri Lanka that sent workers to one of the Iranian vessels a few months back said the conditions onboard were not good.

The crew members reportedly asked the workers to bring their own food and said they couldn’t wash since they had to save fresh water.

According to some sources, the U.S. Embassy in Colombo had informed Sri Lankan authorities that they were tracking the Iranian vessels off its western shores and instructed officials to inform local businesses to deny their resupply requests or risk sanctions.

Before the full-fledged U.S. naval blockade of Iranian Ports, Tehran shipped its crude to waters off Malaysia and conducted ship-to-ship transfers, with the cargo finally reaching China.

However, U.S. restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz targeting Iranian vessels have disrupted this trade, as Asian ports are also not providing maintenance and repair services for fear of sanctions.

Amidst the ongoing blockade, these vessels are stuck, unable to go home, affecting supplies of corn and industrial equipment to Iran.

Defense experts said that the present situation has put Sri Lanka in a dilemma as it tries to balance relations with Washington and Tehran.

U.S. played a vital role in Colombo’s International Monetary Fund bailout and assisted its agricultural sector in getting through a food crisis, while Iran is also a reliable trading partner.