Swapna Kumbar , Bengaluru - External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar held a high-level telephone conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday evening, formally reiterating India's strong protest over the U.S. Navy attacks in the Gulf of Oman that killed three Indian mariners. The diplomatic call underscores India's firm stance as the third merchant vessel with Indian crew was targeted within four days, escalating tensions between the two nations.

During the conversation, Jaishankar emphasized India's "strong protest at the attacks by the U.S. Navy in the Gulf that killed three Indian mariners," according to the minister's official statement. The three Indian sailors 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. India summoned the U.S. Chargé d'affaires to register the formal protest and articulate its "deepest concerns" regarding the incident.

The attacks on MT Settebello mark 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 "these strikes must stop immediately," warning the attacks are creating panic among 20,000 Indian seafarers operating in conflict-prone waters.

The diplomatic exchange between Jaishankar and Rubio demonstrates India's determination to protect its citizens abroad while maintaining diplomatic channels with Washington. 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 seafaring community, expecting the U.S. to "duly acknowledge our protest against assaults on vessels carrying Indian seafarers".