Former U.S. President Ronald Reagan Jr. dispatched his special envoy, Vernon Walters, to Sri Lanka after assuming power in 1977. Indian media described the visit as a move by the United States to deepen its strategic engagement with Sri Lanka. At the time, India—an ally of the Soviet Union—interpreted the visit as an attempt by the U.S. to establish the headquarters of its Central Command in Sri Lanka.
Following the establishment of a U.S. naval base in Trincomalee, Soviet intelligence reportedly informed India that the United States was planning to base its Central Command (CENTCOM) in Sri Lanka. Acting on Soviet advice, India subsequently began supporting Tamil militant groups in the northern region, based on this intelligence.
The Area of Responsibility (AOR) of the U.S. Central Command covers the Middle East, Central Asia, and South Asia. Major operations such as the 2003 Iraq War, the Afghanistan War, and the ongoing Iran War fall under CENTCOM’s jurisdiction.
Recalling the visit of Reagan’s special envoy in the 1980s, a similar development occurred last week when former U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Sergio Gore, visited Sri Lanka. Serving as Trump’s envoy for South and Central Asia, Gore met with President Anura after arriving in the country and also toured the Colombo Port. During his visit, he inspected the pilot station and observed the surrounding maritime area. His visit took place amid the ongoing Iran War, during which the United States had reportedly attacked an Iranian vessel in waters near Sri Lanka.
Amid the Iran War, U.S. involvement in Sri Lanka appears to have intensified. Media reports claimed that Iran had launched a missile strike targeting U.S. and British naval facilities in Diego Garcia; however, Iran denied these allegations.
Between 1970 and 1977, the Bandaranaike government in Sri Lanka and the Indira Gandhi administration in India made significant efforts to remove American and British military bases from Diego Garcia and to declare the Indian Ocean a zone of peace. Reagan’s envoy arrived in Sri Lanka after the defeat of both these initiatives. Although the earlier attempt—associated with Vernon Walters—to establish a naval base in Trincomalee did not succeed, the United States later reasserted its presence in Diego Garcia. Whether Sergio Gore’s recent visit represents a continuation of that earlier initiative remains unclear.
