Sri Lanka Says US Sanctions Are Global, Not Targeted at Stranded Iranian Tankers

Sri Lanka has said US sanctions on Iranian tankers are part of a broader global policy and are not specifically directed at the island nation. The clarification came after reports that Washington had warned Colombo about local companies providing services to Iranian vessels stranded off Sri Lanka’s coast.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Thushara Rodrigo said the US secondary sanctions announced on August 24 applied globally. He said entities providing services to vessels sanctioned by Washington could risk losing access to the US financial system.

The statement followed a report that around 20 empty Iranian oil tankers were positioned roughly 24 kilometres off Sri Lanka’s south-western coast. Some vessels were reportedly facing shortages of food, fuel and fresh water.

Tankers Remain Outside Territorial Waters

Sri Lankan authorities have previously said the Iranian tankers were outside the country’s territorial waters and that officials were monitoring the vessels. Sri Lanka’s territorial waters extend 12 nautical miles, or approximately 22 kilometres, from its coastline.

According to the report, US officials had also informed Sri Lankan authorities that they were tracking 19 Iranian tankers off the western coast and warned that companies providing services to sanctioned vessels could face secondary sanctions.

The US Embassy in Colombo conducted a three-day training programme for more than 40 Sri Lankan officials from September 9 to 11. The programme focused on detecting maritime sanctions evasion, including deceptive practices involving vessel identification.

Sanctions Create Challenges for Local Companies

The stranded vessels are reportedly part of a wider network of Iranian or Iran-linked tankers involved in transporting sanctioned Iranian crude to Asian markets, particularly China.

Reports said the vessels had previously transported Iranian crude to international waters near Malaysia, where cargo was transferred to other tankers before being taken to Chinese refineries.

The situation has created difficulties for Sri Lankan shipping companies considering whether to provide basic services such as food, fuel and fresh water. Companies face the possibility of exposure to US secondary sanctions if they assist sanctioned vessels.

Sri Lanka’s latest statement emphasises that the US measures are part of a wider sanctions policy rather than a measure specifically directed at Colombo, while authorities continue monitoring the tankers offshore.

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