Sri Lanka’s President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. File | Photo Credit: Reuters Sri Lanka refused permission for the United States to station two of its warplanes at an airport in the island’s south in early March, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake told parliament on Friday (March 20, 2026). Also read: West Asia war updates on March 20, 2026 “They wanted to bring two warplanes armed with eight anti-ship missiles from a base in Djibouti to the Mattala International Airport from March 4 to 8 and we said ‘no’,” Mr. Dissanayake said. Sri Lanka maintains close ties with the United States, its biggest export market, and Iran, which is a key buyer of tea, its main export commodity. Published – March 20, 2026 01:00 pm IST Share this: Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Click to share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email More Click to print (Opens in new window) Print Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon Click to share on Nextdoor (Opens in new window) Nextdoor Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky Like this:Like Loading... Post navigation Eid-ul-Fitr 2026 date confirmed: India to celebrate on March 21, Kerala on March 20 Supreme Court grants regular bail to Muppidi Avinash Reddy, an accused in Andhra liquor ‘scam’ case