America's silence on Iranian ships stranded off the coast of Sri Lanka

Responding to an inquiry about whether the American side has expressed concern regarding Iranian vessels stranded near Sri Lanka's maritime boundary, the US Embassy in Colombo stated that it cannot comment on the content of private diplomatic-level conversations. However, the embassy mentioned that it is working with its allies and partners to prevent illegal Iranian revenue streams and is taking steps to globally raise awareness about the risks involved in dealing with the Iranian regime.

An embassy spokesperson stated that information regarding vessels subject to US sanctions is publicly available through the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Commenting on the sanctions risk that arises if any relief or facilities are provided to these vessels, relevant announcements have newly reminded that individuals and entities providing fuel, food, or other supplies to sanctioned vessels will be subject to civil or criminal legal action as well as US sanctions.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that these American secondary sanctions are not aimed at any specific country or Sri Lanka alone, but are a general policy implemented globally. According to these sanctions rules, announced on August 24th, any individual or entity providing services to vessels subject to US sanctions faces the risk of losing access to the US financial system. The Foreign Ministry spokesperson further pointed out that in the current conflict situation, such vessels are not only navigating the Indian Ocean but also other oceanic regions, and these American secondary sanctions affect every country worldwide equally.