Iran asks Sri Lanka to speak out on ‘breach of international law’

By Kelum Bandara

Iran has called on Sri Lanka to clearly articulate its position on what it describes as violations of international law amid the escalating war in the Middle East. 

In an interview with the Daily Mirror, Iranian Ambassador Dr Alireza Delkhosh said Sri Lanka’s long-standing non-aligned foreign policy should not translate into silence in the face of civilian casualties and alleged breaches of international norms. 

“Sri Lanka is a neutral country. But neutrality does not mean silence,” he said. “It does not mean that when a country sees children being killed, it should keep quiet.” 
Referring to the ongoing conflict involving the United States and Israel, the Ambassador accused the two countries of attacking Iranian civilian targets and infrastructure. He argued that neutrality requires non-alignment between warring parties, but not indifference to what he termed violations of international law. 

“If basic international regulations are breached, every responsible country should state its position clearly,” he said. 

Drawing parallels with civilian deaths in Gaza, he questioned whether a neutral country should refrain from expressing concern over such incidents. 

“I don’t think neutrality means keeping silent when you see a massacre,” he added. 

Sri Lanka traditionally follows a non-aligned foreign policy and maintains diplomatic relations with both Western nations and countries in the Middle East. 

The Ambassador’s remarks come at a time when Colombo is carefully navigating its external relations amid growing geopolitical tensions that could have economic and energy implications for the region, including Sri Lanka. 

(Read full interview on page 4)