Israel’s dangerous attack, Lanka’s economy and a nuclear fallout

In the early hours of 13 June 2025,  Israel without any warning launched a large-scale strike targetting Iranian nuclear facilities. The aim of the sneak attack according to the Israeli premier was  to protect Israel by preventing Iran from manufacturing nuclear weapons.

Israel itself is nuclear armed. Prior to the attack, the Israeli premier informed its ally the US of the pending attack.

Hours later, on the evening of 13 June, Iran retaliated launching a large-scale attack against targets across Israel, in retaliation for the earlier attacks on Iranian territory including those on Israeli nuclear facilities. Both Iran and Israel claim the attacks on each other’s nuclear facilities failed.

As this piece is being written the two countries are continuing to attack each other.

While the US has voiced its support for Israel, Russia and China have condemned the Israeli strike and called for a cessation of hostilities. The Arab countries too, have condemned Israel’s attack. In Sri Lanka, our government needs be extremely concerned at the outbreak of hostilities as there is a real possibility that an escalation of the war can seriously harm our interests in the region.

According to the Ministry of Labour and Foreign Employment over one million Sri Lankan workers are currently employed in the Middle East. Of this number, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) host 80 per cent of all Sri Lankan migrant workers. Israel on the other hand hosts 9,211 Sri Lankan migrant workers.

Over the past 20 years, workers’ remittances have paid, an average of 80 per cent of our country’s trade deficit. Foreign workers’ remittances in 2024 reached $6.5 billion. Most of these workers are employed in the Middle East

Even as this column is being written, according to Trading Economics quoting Central Bank reports, remittances in Sri Lanka decreased to 641.70 million US dollars in May from 646.10 million US dollars in April of 2025.

Since the economic meltdown of April 2022, our total gross external debt stood at 56.6 billion USD in September 2024, made up of 1,369 million dollars in capital repayments and 1,085 million dollars in interest. Our country is still repaying its outstanding debts and cannot afford to lose this important source of income.

The Arab countries in the Middle East hosts the largest number of our migrant workers. They therefore provide our country with the largest percentage of foreign worker remittances. It is, therefore imperative Lanka that take steps to protect this major source of its foreign exchange. Remittances as mentioned earlier, earned our country over US $6.5 billion in 2024.

Strangely however, our government has not seen it fit to comment on the ongoing clashes in the Middle East or add their voices to the growing number of countries calling for an immediate end to hostilities. Could  this be because a relatively small number of our migrant workers (9,211) are employed in Israel? Are we not endangering hundreds of thousands of jobs in Arab countries for a few thousand jobs in Israel?

Before it was voted into power at both the presidential and general elections, the present leadership of our government took a strong pro-Arab, anti-Israeli stance over Israel’s genocidal attacks on Palestine. Was this simply a ploy to win over the votes of the minority Muslim community in the country?

We certainly hope this was not the case. Lanka presently enjoys good relations with the Arab states because past Lankan political leaders had the guts to stand against Israeli aggression even in the face of threats from West European countries. This time around unfortunately our government seems to be afraid to call a spade a spade.

All Middle East countries and  the UN has condemned Israel’s attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Yet, our present government leaders -- composed of self-styled educated politicians -- do not seem to have realised the dangers of attacking nuclear facilities or endangering a major source of our foreign income.

The nuclear fallout will spread far beyond Iran and its immediate borders. Israel is putting the entire world at risk in its short-sighted aim of achieving regime change in Iran. 

Our government needs to add its voice to halt Israel’s dangerous games. It needs to ensure the world remains a better place for future generations.