News Desk - U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio responded to India's strong protest over the U.S. Navy attacks on commercial vessels carrying Indian crew, stating that "violations will not be tolerated" in the aftermath of the deadly strikes that killed three Indian mariners. The diplomatic exchange occurred after External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar spoke directly with Rubio on Friday evening, hours after the Ministry of External Affairs summoned U.S. Chargé d'Affaires Jason Meeks for the second time in less than 48 hours over the attacks involving commercial vessels carrying Indian crew.

During the telephone conversation, Jaishankar reiterated India's "strong protest at the attacks by the U.S. Navy in the Gulf that killed three Indian mariners," demanding that "these strikes must stop immediately," according to the minister's official statement. India summoned Jason Meeks to formally register the protest and articulate its "deepest concerns" regarding the incident, marking the second such diplomatic action in less than two days. The three Indian sailors killed were identified as Aditya Sharma (Deck Cadet), Shivanand Chaurasia (Engine Fitter), and Patanala Suresh (Chief Engineer), who died aboard the Palau-flagged MT Settebello when U.S. forces struck the vessel with precision munitions while it was transiting the Gulf of Oman.

Rubio's response emphasized that violations will not be tolerated while also addressing the ongoing maritime security concerns in the Gulf region. The MT Settebello attack marked the third assault on merchant vessels with Indian crew in just four days, with the first incident involving the disabling of Palau-flagged oil tanker Marivex carrying 24 Indian seafarers on June 8, and the third targeting Guinea-Bissau-flagged bitumen tanker MT Jalveer with 20 Indian crew members on June 12. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal declared that India attaches "high importance to the welfare and well-being of our seafaring community," warning the attacks are creating panic among 20,000 Indian seafarers operating in conflict-prone waters.

The diplomatic standoff between India and the U.S. over the attacks on commercial vessels carrying Indian crew highlights the growing risks faced by Indian seafarers in West Asia's volatile waters. As the U.S. continues its blockade of Iran-related shipping since April 13, India has intensified coordination between shipping, defense, and diplomatic agencies to safeguard its citizens abroad, expecting the U.S. to "duly acknowledge our protest against assaults on vessels carrying Indian seafarers".