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Relationship dossier

Iran Sri Lanka

Relationship assessment

Practical economic cooperation, including Iranian support for Sri Lankan development and tea-for-oil arrangements

Iran toward Sri Lanka

+40

Iran supported Sri Lanka’s Uma Oya development project, a major infrastructure initiative, and supplied oil that later became the basis for a tea-for-debt repayment arrangement.

Sri Lanka toward Iran

+35

Sri Lanka agreed to repay an oil debt to Iran through tea exports, establishing a practical bilateral trade arrangement.

Overall relationship

+40

The relationship is characterized by practical economic ties, particularly Iranian involvement in Sri Lankan infrastructure and arrangements linking Sri Lankan tea exports to repayment of an oil debt. These provide a constructive foundation, but the scope of cooperation beyond these areas is uncertain.

How to read these scores

Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.

−100
Extreme sustained hostility
−50
Substantially adversarial
0
Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
+50
Substantially cooperative
+100
Exceptionally close sustained partnership

“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.

Relationship context

Knowledge coverageLimited

Overview

Iran and Sri Lanka have maintained practical economic cooperation, including Iranian support for Sri Lanka’s Uma Oya development project and arrangements for Sri Lankan tea exports to repay an oil debt. These initiatives indicate a constructive relationship, though the breadth and consistency of cooperation across other areas are less clear.

Key developments

Major uncertainties

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