Source Hindustan Times
NEW DELHI — A major diplomatic rift has opened between India and the United States following a series of American military strikes on commercial tankers in the Gulf of Oman that resulted in the deaths of three Indian seafarers.
India’s External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar, initiated a high-level phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to lodge a fierce, unambiguous protest against the use of deadly force on civilian shipping networks.
“Spoke to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio this evening. I reiterated India’s strong protest at the attacks by the US Navy in the Gulf that killed three Indian mariners,” Jaishankar stated publicly. “Such lethal actions against commercial shipping are not justified.”
Escalating Violence in Strategic Waters
The diplomatic friction peaked after the U.S. Navy targeted three separate foreign-flagged merchant vessels staffed heavily by Indian crews. The U.S. Central Command confirmed it carried out operations against the MT Marivex, the MT Settebello, and the MT Jalveer, asserting the vessels were actively violating an ongoing American naval blockade of Iranian ports.
The consequences of these enforcements have proved devastating:
MT Settebello: The Palau-flagged oil tanker came under heavy American fire. While 21 Indian crew members were successfully rescued, three sailors—identified as deck cadet Aditya Sharma, engine fitter Shivanand Chaurasiya, and chief engineer Patnala Suresh—lost their lives.
MT Jalveer: Days later, U.S. combat aircraft fired Hellfire missiles directly into the engine room of this Guinea-Bissau-flagged vessel. Fortunately, all 20 Indian mariners aboard were safely evacuated.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly countered during the call by stating that violations of the blockade and the illicit transport of Iranian goods would not be tolerated, urging all commercial vessels to immediately comply with American orders in the volatile Strait of Hormuz.
Diplomatic Pushback and Grief at Home
The incident has triggered widespread public anger in India, which serves as one of the largest global suppliers of seafaring manpower. Families of the victims have publicly called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to treat the missile strikes on civilian crews as a severe violation of maritime safety laws.
In New Delhi, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) took the rare step of summoning the senior-most U.S. diplomat in India, Chargé d’Affaires Jason Meeks, twice in less than 48 hours.
Indian Diplomatic ActionsU.S. Position / Rationale
Summoned U.S. Envoy Twice: Lodged formal protests against “avoidable loss of life.”Blockade Enforcement: Asserts targeted ships failed to comply with military orders.
Condemned Lethal Force: Declared attacks on civilian shipping “unacceptable.”Strategic Deterrence: Vowed zero tolerance for illicit maritime trade with Iran.
Issued Global Sailor Advisory: Warned Indian mariners to exercise extreme caution.Direct Communication: State Department claims to be coordinating directly with New Delhi.
As India works closely with regional authorities to repatriate the mortal remains of the deceased sailors, the Modi administration continues to balance its critical strategic partnership with Washington against its unyielding duty to protect millions of citizens working globally across the high seas.
For a more detailed breakdown of the diplomatic fallout and the specific responses from both Washington and New Delhi, you can watch this report on the India-US maritime clash, which outlines the severe protests lodged by the Ministry of External Affairs.
