Sri Lanka says U.S. secondary sanctions not specifically targeted at country

Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry has clarified that U.S. secondary sanctions relating to dealings with sanctioned Iranian vessels are part of a wider global sanctions policy and are not specifically targeted at Sri Lanka.

The clarification follows reports that the United States had warned Sri Lanka of possible sanctions if services were provided to Iranian vessels anchored in international waters near the island.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman and Director General Thushara Rodrigo said the U.S. secondary sanctions framework applied globally rather than to any particular country.

He said the United States had announced the measures on 24 August, warning that individuals or entities providing services to sanctioned vessels could risk losing access to the U.S. financial system.

The U.S. Treasury announced on 24 August that it was expanding secondary sanctions exposure for entities continuing to do business with Iran and warned that those facilitating sanctions evasion could be cut off from the U.S. financial system.

Rodrigo stressed that the policy formed part of the broader U.S. sanctions regime and was not a measure directed specifically at Sri Lanka.

He also said vessels subject to such sanctions were not confined to the Indian Ocean, noting that similar vessels were operating in other maritime regions amid continuing conflicts and geopolitical tensions.