Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has called US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to protest American strikes on three largely Indian-crewed merchant vessels off Oman, which killed three Indians. The call came after New Delhi summoned a senior US diplomat for a second time in two days over the incident.
Jaishankar's protest
“Spoke to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio this evening,” Jaishankar said on X. “I reiterated India’s strong protest at the attacks by the US Navy in the Gulf that killed three Indian mariners. Such lethal actions against commercial shipping are not justified.”
Details of the attacks
On Wednesday, three Indian sailors were killed in a US strike on the Palau-flagged MT Settebello off the coast of Oman. That followed a June 8 strike on the MT Marivex, another Palau-flagged tanker. Omani authorities airlifted 24 Indian sailors off that vessel. On Thursday, a Guinea-Bissau-flagged tanker was hit; its crew, including 20 Indian sailors, were rescued.
India's foreign ministry said US Deputy Chief of Mission Jason Meeks was summoned twice to hear India's protest. The US State Department did not comment on the call between Jaishankar and Rubio but earlier said it was in “direct contact” with India.
India's maritime concerns
India is one of the largest contributors of sailors to global merchant shipping, with over 320,000 active seafarers in 2025. The shipping ministry warned all Indian sailors to exercise caution in conflict-affected waters.
India's navy also carried out a “high-risk operation” to extract an unexploded missile warhead from the crude oil tanker MT Olympic Life, struck off Oman on May 26. The projectile had penetrated the hull and lodged inside a fuel tank.
Iran has restricted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz since US and Israel attacks on February 28. The US has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports.
