The Crossbill Team
A diplomatic rift between New Delhi and Washington has widened after the United States publicly defended recent naval strikes in the Gulf of Oman that resulted in the deaths of three Indian sailors, even as India reiterated its objections over the use of force against commercial shipping.
External affairs minister S. Jaishankar, currently on a European tour, spoke with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the night of Friday (June 12) and later disclosed that he had registered India's objections over the incidents.
“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, who is on a European tour, had written on social media platform X.
“Such lethal actions against commercial shipping are not justified,” he added.
However, in its account of the conversation released on Saturday, the US State Department made no mention of India's protest or the deaths of the sailors. Instead, Washington defended its actions in the region.
According to the State Department, Rubio “stressed that all commercial vessels should immediately comply with orders from US forces as they seek to uphold peace and security in the Strait”. He further underscored that “violations of the US blockade and the illicit transport of Iranian oil will not be tolerated”.
The American response came after India had already summoned US embassy deputy chief of mission Jason Meeks twice within a week over attacks on vessels carrying Indian crew members in the Gulf of Oman.
The latest démarche was made on Friday, following an earlier protest over the June 10 strike on the Palau-flagged tanker MT Settebello, in which three Indian sailors lost their lives. US ambassador Sergio Gor is understood to be outside India.
Unlike the previous late-evening summons, Friday's meeting took place during office hours and drew public attention, with television crews stationed outside and inside the Ministry of External Affairs headquarters.
Following Meeks's meeting with Additional Secretary (Americas) Nagaraj Naidu, the MEA issued a statement saying that a “strong protest” had been conveyed regarding continuing attacks by US naval forces on commercial vessels carrying Indian mariners, which had already resulted in the “tragic and avoidable loss of three Indian lives”.
“The ministry once again conveyed its deep concern over the use of lethal and deadly force against civilian shipping. Such actions are unacceptable and undermine the safety, security and stability of international maritime commerce in a sensitive region at a difficult time,” the statement said.
The MEA added that Meeks had been asked to convey India's concerns to Washington and ensure that American forces operating in the region take all necessary measures to avoid civilian casualties.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump claimed on Friday that Iran had attempted to strike Indian ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz in a “totally unacceptable” move that was eventually “rebuffed”.
Since June 8, three separate incidents involving US military action against oil tankers carrying Indian crew members have been confirmed in the Gulf of Oman. The first involved MT Marivex, whose 24 Indian sailors were rescued after the vessel was struck. At the time, New Delhi's response largely aligned with the US account, with external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stating that the ship had been “disabled” and noting that communication had taken place between the vessel and the US Navy before the incident.
That response contrasted with India's reaction earlier this year when Iranian naval forces fired on the Indian-flagged container ship MV Sanmar Herald in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting New Delhi to summon Iran's ambassador.
The second attack involved MT Settebello, after which India publicly condemned the incident and summoned the US chargé d'affaires. The three deceased Indian crew members were identified as deck cadet Aditya Sharma, engine fitter Shivanand Chaurasia and chief engineer Patnala Suresh.
India subsequently clarified that Settebello was a commercial vessel that was not sanctioned by the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control.
The most recent incident involved MT Jalveer, which US Central Command acknowledged targeting on June 11.
The latest developments have further heightened concerns in New Delhi over the safety of Indian mariners navigating one of the world's most sensitive maritime corridors, even as differences with Washington over the legitimacy of the military actions appear to have become more pronounced.
External affairs minister S. Jaishankar, currently on a European tour, spoke with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the night of Friday (June 12) and later disclosed that he had registered India's objections over the incidents.
“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, who is on a European tour, had written on social media platform X.
“Such lethal actions against commercial shipping are not justified,” he added.
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. Such lethal actions against commercial shipping are not justified.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) June 12, 2026
However, in its account of the conversation released on Saturday, the US State Department made no mention of India's protest or the deaths of the sailors. Instead, Washington defended its actions in the region.
According to the State Department, Rubio “stressed that all commercial vessels should immediately comply with orders from US forces as they seek to uphold peace and security in the Strait”. He further underscored that “violations of the US blockade and the illicit transport of Iranian oil will not be tolerated”.
The American response came after India had already summoned US embassy deputy chief of mission Jason Meeks twice within a week over attacks on vessels carrying Indian crew members in the Gulf of Oman.
The latest démarche was made on Friday, following an earlier protest over the June 10 strike on the Palau-flagged tanker MT Settebello, in which three Indian sailors lost their lives. US ambassador Sergio Gor is understood to be outside India.
Unlike the previous late-evening summons, Friday's meeting took place during office hours and drew public attention, with television crews stationed outside and inside the Ministry of External Affairs headquarters.
Following Meeks's meeting with Additional Secretary (Americas) Nagaraj Naidu, the MEA issued a statement saying that a “strong protest” had been conveyed regarding continuing attacks by US naval forces on commercial vessels carrying Indian mariners, which had already resulted in the “tragic and avoidable loss of three Indian lives”.
“The ministry once again conveyed its deep concern over the use of lethal and deadly force against civilian shipping. Such actions are unacceptable and undermine the safety, security and stability of international maritime commerce in a sensitive region at a difficult time,” the statement said.
The MEA added that Meeks had been asked to convey India's concerns to Washington and ensure that American forces operating in the region take all necessary measures to avoid civilian casualties.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump claimed on Friday that Iran had attempted to strike Indian ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz in a “totally unacceptable” move that was eventually “rebuffed”.
Since June 8, three separate incidents involving US military action against oil tankers carrying Indian crew members have been confirmed in the Gulf of Oman. The first involved MT Marivex, whose 24 Indian sailors were rescued after the vessel was struck. At the time, New Delhi's response largely aligned with the US account, with external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stating that the ship had been “disabled” and noting that communication had taken place between the vessel and the US Navy before the incident.
That response contrasted with India's reaction earlier this year when Iranian naval forces fired on the Indian-flagged container ship MV Sanmar Herald in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting New Delhi to summon Iran's ambassador.
The second attack involved MT Settebello, after which India publicly condemned the incident and summoned the US chargé d'affaires. The three deceased Indian crew members were identified as deck cadet Aditya Sharma, engine fitter Shivanand Chaurasia and chief engineer Patnala Suresh.
India subsequently clarified that Settebello was a commercial vessel that was not sanctioned by the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control.
The most recent incident involved MT Jalveer, which US Central Command acknowledged targeting on June 11.
The latest developments have further heightened concerns in New Delhi over the safety of Indian mariners navigating one of the world's most sensitive maritime corridors, even as differences with Washington over the legitimacy of the military actions appear to have become more pronounced.
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