By Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi is scheduled to arrive in Sri Lanka. It will certainly be a difficult call given the current assault on Iran by Israel. However, no changes to the schedule have been announced.
Iran’s Ambassador Dr. Alireza Delkhosh confirmed that President Raisi’s visit to Colombo is yet to be officially confirmed.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe had invited President Raisi to visit Colombo approximately three months ago, and the Iranian President readily accepted the invitation.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will make an official visit to Pakistan from Monday to Wednesday, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Umaya Oya:
The Iranian President is scheduled to be in Sri Lanka on Wednesday to inaugurate the Uma Oya Multipurpose Development Project along with President Ranil Wickremesinghe. An official Iranian delegation was in Sri Lanka earlier in the week for preliminary discussions, and it is planned for President Raisi to arrive at Mattala International Airport on Wednesday morning. He will then travel directly to the inauguration ceremony to be held at Uma Oya. Mr. Raisi’s wife and daughter are also expected to arrive in Sri Lanka with him.
The USD 529 million Iranian-Sri Lankan Uma Oya project that began in 2010 is due to add 120 megawatts of hydroelectricity to the national grid and provide water for the cultivation of 15,000 acres of paddy lands. The project is also expected to fulfill the drinking water needs of residents in the Badulla, Bandarawela, and Monaragala districts.
Tensions with Israel:
Satellite imagery released over the past 24 hours has revealed evidence of probable damage at an Iranian air base following an Israeli strike in the early hours of Friday morning.
BBC Verify has analysed two images showing part of an air-defense system at an airfield in Isfahan was damaged. US officials say Israel carried out a missile strike, although there has been no official Israeli confirmation. Iran has said Israeli involvement in Friday’s attack is still to be established and dismissed the drones used as children’s toys. Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian claimed they took off from within Iran and only flew a few hundred meters before being shot down. Israel hasn’t commented but is widely believed to be behind the strike targeting an airbase and nuclear site near Isfahan. Tensions between the bitter rivals intensified in recent weeks.
