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The Indian Minister of External Affairs, S. Jaishankar, called Secretary of State Marco Rubio to convey that the U.S. Navy's attack on the tanker MT Settebello in the Gulf of Oman, which resulted in the deaths of three Indian sailors, was "not justified" and demanded safeguards for civilian vessels operating in the region, reported the newspaper Mathrubhumi.
The incident transformed what was a rescue operation into a point of diplomatic friction between two strategic partners, after Indian authorities confirmed that the three crew members reported missing following the attack on June 9 had been found dead.
In a post on X on Friday night, Jaishankar detailed the content of his conversation with Rubio: “I reiterated India’s strong protest regarding the U.S. Navy's attacks in the Gulf that killed three Indian sailors. Such deadly actions against commercial shipping are unjustifiable.”
Hours before that call, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) summoned the U.S. chargé d'affaires, Jason Meeks, and filed a formal protest describing the deaths as "tragic and avoidable."
The MEA warned that the use of lethal force against civilian vessels "undermines the security, protection, and stability of international maritime trade in a sensitive region at a difficult time."
The MT Settebello, a petroleum tanker registered under the flag of Palau, was carrying a crew of 28 people: 24 Indian citizens, two Pakistanis, one Ukrainian, and one Russian.
Twenty-one Indian sailors were rescued alive after the attack, but the three who had been reported missing were later confirmed dead.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) acknowledged having carried out the attack and justified it by claiming that the crew repeatedly ignored the instructions of U.S. naval personnel and that the vessel was attempting to transport Iranian oil in violation of the naval blockade imposed by Washington since April 13.
The U.S. explanation, however, did not soften New Delhi's stance.
Rubio responded to Jaishankar that all commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz must "immediately comply with the orders of the U.S. forces," according to the Times of India.
The MT Settebello was the second of three tankers attacked on consecutive days: the MT Marivex was attacked on June 8—with 24 Indian sailors on board, all rescued—and the MT Jalveer was attacked on June 11, with 20 Indian crew members evacuated safely.
None of the three vessels flew the Indian flag; all were foreign commercial ships with predominantly Indian crews.
Since the onset of the blockade, the U.S. Navy has diverted over 50 commercial vessels in the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route through which approximately 20% of the world's oil passes.
India has a special interest in the maritime security of the region: it is the third largest supplier of seafarers in the world, contributing 9.35% of the global maritime workforce, and has repeatedly expressed its concern about the impact of the conflict on civilian crews.
The MEA emphasized that India demands Washington to ensure that its forces in the region "take all necessary measures to prevent civilian casualties in future operations," leaving open the possibility of further diplomatic actions if attacks on vessels with Indian crew members continue.
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