The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has summoned the US Chargé d’Affaires, Jason Meeks, to lodge a strong protest against the ongoing attacks on commercial vessels off the coast of Oman. The diplomatic move follows yet another incident yesterday, where a commercial vessel with 20 Indian crew members on board came under attack in the region. This marks the second time that the US mission has been summoned by the MEA over the escalating maritime security issue. The US envoy was also called in by the Additional Secretary (Americas) in the Ministry of External Affairs to register India's serious concerns.
The situation has turned fatal for Indian nationals at sea. In a tragic development, three Indian seafarers, who were initially reported missing following one of the previous attacks, have now been confirmed dead. This escalation marks New Delhi's first public acknowledgement of the US Navy directly targeting commercial ships carrying Indian seafarers. According to official data, the American military targeted three foreign-flagged merchant vessels operating with Indian crew members off the coast of Oman over a four-day period. The maritime flashpoint began on June 8 when US forces disabled the Palau-flagged oil tanker, Marivex, which was carrying 24 Indian crew members.
While all personnel from that vessel were safely rescued, the US struck a second Palau-flagged tanker, Settebello, on June 10, causing the three aforementioned fatalities. Addressing the media during an inter-ministerial briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal detailed India's sharp diplomatic pushback following the summoning of the US envoy. "We attach high importance to the welfare and well-being of our seafaring community. When this particular attack on the ship MT Settebello occurred, we lodged a strong protest with the American side," Jaiswal stated. "We summoned the US Chargé d’Affaires and he was conveyed our deepest concern over the ongoing incidents of attacks. We also registered our strong protest," he said, firmly underscoring that these military actions "must stop" immediately. New Delhi has called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, urging a return to diplomatic channels to safeguard vital global shipping lanes. "We further conveyed that dialogue and diplomacy is the way forward for the peaceful resolution of the conflict, and that there should be unimpeded access through the Strait of Hormuz in accordance with international law," Jaiswal asserted.
"Therefore, we made our position very clear on each of these points, while reiterating how important the lives of our people are, welfare and safety of our people are," he added. Jaiswal clarified that the strikes originated from US Navy units currently stationed in the region, though he noted the targeted ships were not domestic vessels. "The three ships that have been involved in these incidents were foreign-flagged vessels. Two of them were Palau-flagged, while the third ship is Guinea-Bissau-flagged. They were not Indian-owned ships," he said. The MEA spokesperson further revealed that the targeted operations were linked to regulatory enforcement, noting that two of the merchant vessels were under sanctions administered by the US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), while the third had been classified as non-compliant.
Providing updates on the ongoing rescue and relief operations, Mukesh Mangal, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, confirmed that the evacuation of seafaring personnel on a third vessel, the Jalveer, has already commenced. Regarding the Settebello, Mangal stated that the remaining 25 crew members--comprising 21 Indians, two Pakistanis, one Russian, and one Ukrainian--have been successfully evacuated to safety. To support the families of the victims, Mangal announced that the Seamen Welfare Fund Society has been directed to release an ex-gratia payment of Rs 10 lakh to the kin of each deceased Indian sailor. The crisis highlights the massive footprint of Indian maritime professionals in the volatile zone. Government data shows that more than 18,000 Indian seafarers are currently deployed across the Gulf region. This includes 562 crew members working aboard 13 Indian-flagged vessels, with 329 personnel stationed on ships operating west of the Strait of Hormuz and 233 on vessels navigating the Gulf of Oman.