Maldives' airspace open for U.S. to attack an Islamic country, gov’t fails to comment
International media has reported that the U.S. is preparing to attack Iran from the military base established by the U.S. in Chagos Islands
As concerns grow about the possibility of a war breaking out between Iran and the United States, American military vessels continue to use Maldivian airspace
The government has failed to make a statement regarding the United States of America using the island nation’s airspace for military strikes against Iran.
International media has reported that the U.S. is preparing to attack Iran from the military base established by the U.S. in Chagos Islands, south of Addu City.
Regarding the issue, the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) has unofficially commented that the Ministry of Defence will officially speak on matters related to national security. However, as Minister of Defence Ghassan Maumoon failed to answer the station’s calls, RaajjeMV was unable to attain an official comment regarding the matter at the time of publishing. The government has also not said anything regarding the issue.
Under international law, a country's airspace can only be used for military purposes with the permission of the country's government. International media has revealed that if the U.S. uses the Diego Garcia military base to attack Iran, it will also use Maldives’ airspace. Iran has warned that it will retaliate if any attack comes from Diego Garcia.
With the surfacing of the issue, several members of the public have expressed concern. They have been expressing concern about U.S. military vessels traveling through Maldivian airspace recently, and the use of Gan International Airport and Hanimaadhoo International Airport. Although some people have discussed these issues and expressed concerns on social media, the government is yet to comment regarding the matter.
The issue has churned much criticism, as Iran is a Muslim country and many questioning why the Maldives is maintaining silence on the issue, as a Muslim country. Many have stressed that if the war begins, the Maldives will be one of the countries most affected by it.
In response to U.S. threats, international media has quoted an Iranian official saying that military commanders have been instructed to target the joint UK-U.S. military base in Chagos Islands, as Iran's aim is to prevent Donald Trump from attacking their country.
The Iranian official told The Telegraph that if Trump's threats become more serious, senior commanders have been urging to launch powerful attacks on Chagos Islands and the military center there.
The official said that since the threat to bomb Chagos Islands was made, discussions about the island have become very heated. Satellite photos show that three B-2 Spirit jets have arrived at the strategic U.S.-UK outpost in the past week.
