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India's Foreign Minister protests to Rubio over sailors killed in Gulf attack
India's Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Friday lodged a "strong protest" with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio over US strikes on commercial shipping in the Middle East, which killed three Indian sailors last week.
"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," Jaishankar wrote in a post on X.
Diplomatic relations between New Delhi and Washington have come under significant strain since Trump returned to the White House in 2025, particularly over trade.
The US State Department has not publicly commented on the call between Jaishankar and Rubio, but said it was in direct contact with the Indian government.
On Wednesday, the US struck the Palau-flagged MT Settebello off the coast of Oman, killing three sailors on board.
This came after another Palau-flagged tanker, the MT Maverix, was struck on June 8. It had 24 Indian sailors on board who were safely airlifted from the vessel.
On Thursday, a Guinea-Bissau-flagged tanker was hit in a US strike. New Delhi said its crew, which included 20 Indian sailors, was rescued.
US President Donald Trump claimed that at least one of the strikes was carried out by Iran.
In a post on Truth social on Friday, Trump said Iran's "totally rebuffed drone attack last night against Indian ships leaving the Hormuz Strait is TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. They better get their act together, and FAST!"Iran has denied the allegation, calling it "simply baseless."
"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," Jaishankar wrote in a post on X.
Diplomatic relations between New Delhi and Washington have come under significant strain since Trump returned to the White House in 2025, particularly over trade.
The US State Department has not publicly commented on the call between Jaishankar and Rubio, but said it was in direct contact with the Indian government.
On Wednesday, the US struck the Palau-flagged MT Settebello off the coast of Oman, killing three sailors on board.
On Thursday, a Guinea-Bissau-flagged tanker was hit in a US strike. New Delhi said its crew, which included 20 Indian sailors, was rescued.
US President Donald Trump claimed that at least one of the strikes was carried out by Iran.
In a post on Truth social on Friday, Trump said Iran's "totally rebuffed drone attack last night against Indian ships leaving the Hormuz Strait is TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. They better get their act together, and FAST!"Iran has denied the allegation, calling it "simply baseless."
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