The U.S. has sought clarification from the Maldives days after President Mohammad Muizzu lashed out at Washington over the war with Iran.

The matter came up on Wednesday when U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy Sergio Gor and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Bethany Morrison spoke to Maldivian Foreign Minister Iruthisham Adam and discussed the U.S.-Maldives relationship. 

Mr. Muizzu has slammed the U.S. and Israel for attacks on Iran and repeatedly asserted that he would not allow use of any area of the Maldives, a small Muslim-majority archipelago, in any capacity to aid the war.

“On the call, the Foreign Minister helped clarify recent statements by the Maldivian President. The Minister reiterated that the President of Maldives wanted a positive relationship. We look forward to future engagements,” the U.S. Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs said in a post on X on Wednesday.

The Maldivian president had refused to meet Mr. Gor, Mr. Trump’s special envoy for South and Central Asia, when he visited Male in March. 

-AP