– The Sri Lankan Government has received no formal request or message from Iran regarding its vessels that remained close to Sri Lanka’s territorial waters, Deputy Defence Minister Aruna Jayasekera told the Daily Mirror.

He said that no issue had arisen in this regard with the U.S. authorities.It was reported that several Iranian-flagged vessels anchored off the country’s coast near the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) due to the U.S blockade.Mr Jayasekera said “no request has come to facilitate or do anything” in connection with the vessels.Asked how the Sri Lankan Government would respond if Iran made a request concerning Iranian vessels outside Sri Lankan waters, the Deputy Minister said a decision would have to be made at that time.When asked whether the US Embassy in Colombo had contacted the Ministry of Defense regarding the matter, the Deputy Defense Minister said no communications had been received and that the United States had raised no concerns over the issue.

Meanwhile, a senior Navy source also confirmed that no communication has been made with the vessels and that no arrangements have been made to provide them with facilities or assistance.The Navy said the vessels are located in the vicinity of Sri Lanka’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), but outside the country’s sovereign territorial waters. As such, they do not fall under Sri Lanka’s direct jurisdiction.According to the maritime executive, the ships are outside Sri Lanka’s territorial waters and therefore not under its jurisdiction. But if the masters of the Iranian vessels thought they were under threat, they could quickly move into Sri Lankan territorial waters, not necessarily with any permission, and seek protection by default. The maritime executive also reported that satellite imagery shows a large number of tankers at anchor on the territorial waters boundary, and interrogation of the VesselFinder database shows that many of these tankers are vessels which are sanctioned by the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

The Daily Mirror learns that foreign vessels operating beyond the country’s territorial waters are entitled to navigate international sea lanes in accordance with international maritime law.According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), particularly Articles 58 and 87, which protect freedom of navigation in the EEZ and on the high seas. Under these provisions, vessels operating lawfully outside territorial waters generally remain under the jurisdiction of their respective flag states.Despite having no legal basis to arbitrarily stop or obstruct the vessels, the Sri Lanka Navy said earlier that they continue to maintain 24-hour Maritime Domain Awareness and surveillance across the country’s maritime zones using naval patrol craft.

Meanwhile, when asked about the steps taken regarding the Iranian naval support ship IRIS Bushehr, which was directed to the northeastern port of Trincomalee in March 2026 after suffering an engine failure that prompted the humanitarian evacuation of its crew, the Deputy Minister said discussions were still ongoing in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant international counterparts.