The government of Sri Lanka has announced that at present it does not have a program to help 19 Iranian ships in international waters near this country that are facing shortages of food, water, and fuel.

The spokesperson of the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that this country will prioritize its national interests before assessing any kind of assistance, and that the companies supplying the needs of the ships are aware of the risk of encountering secondary sanctions by the United States.

According to the spokesperson, the ships are anchored at a distance of 24 nautical miles from the coast of this country and have reported shortages of food, water, and fuel.

Wijitha Herath, Sri Lanka’s foreign minister, also told the local newspaper Sunday Times that these ships are Iranian tankers that, over the past few months, after the United States resumed the maritime blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, have anchored near Sri Lanka.