India lodges strong protest with Rubio on killing of 3 Indian Sailors

External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar spoke to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and lodged a strong protest over the attacks by the U.S. Navy in the Gulf that killed three Indian mariners. In a post on X, Dr Jaishankar said such lethal actions against commercial shipping are not justified. The conversation comes days after three Indian crew members were killed in a US strike on the Palau-flagged tanker MT Settebello off the coast of Oman, triggering a sharp response from New Delhi.
The vessel had 24 Indian crew members on board, of whom 21 were rescued, while the three missing sailors were later confirmed dead. Following the incident, India lodged a strong protest with Washington and summoned the US Chargé d’Affaires in New Delhi. The Ministry of External Affairs said it had conveyed its deep concern over the use of lethal force against civilian shipping and stressed that attacks on commercial vessels undermine the safety, security and stability of international maritime commerce.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had earlier said that attacks on merchant vessels carrying Indian crew members must cease immediately. He also called for dialogue and diplomacy to ensure an early return to peace and stability in the region.
Meanwhie,US President Donald Trump on Friday accused Iran of trying to carry out a drone attack on Indian ships leaving the Strait of Hormuz and said it was "totally unacceptable". In a post on Truth Social, Trump claimed, "Their (Iran's) totally rebuffed Drone attack last night against Indian Ships leaving the Hormuz Strait is totally unacceptable." Trump's claim about the "rebuffed" drone attack comes after three vessels with Indian crew came under attack off the Omani coast this week. After an attack on a Palau-flagged tanker MT Settebello, three Indian seafarers lost their lives.