4 min readNew DelhiJun 13, 2026 09:32 AM IST
First published on: Jun 13, 2026 at 08:01 AM IST
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday and conveyed India’s strong protest at the attacks by the US Navy in the Gulf that killed three Indian seafarers.
Jaishankar, who was in Finland for a bilateral visit, called Rubio up and conveyed that “such lethal actions against commercial shipping are not justified”.
This came hours after India on Friday summoned the US charge d’affaires (CDA) for the second time in less than 48 hours and lodged a “strong protest” over the series of attacks by US naval forces on commercial vessels carrying Indian mariners in the Gulf of Oman.
“Spoke to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio this evening. 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 posted on X.
A call at the foreign minister’s level signals the seriousness with which India is taking the incident. Rubio had visited India last month—his first visit to the country—as part of repairing ties between the two countries.
On Thursday, the government had confirmed the death of three Indian seafarers, reported missing a day earlier from MT Settebello after it was attacked. Of the 24 Indians on board, 21 were rescued. The same day, US forces fired Hellfire missiles into the engine room of MT Jalveer, a Guinea-Bissau-flagged tanker, near the Oman coast. All 20 Indian seafarers on board were safely evacuated.
CDA Jason Meeks summoned twice
CDA Jason Meeks was summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs, where Nagaraj Naidu, Additional Secretary (Americas Division), conveyed India’s concerns. The MEA, which usually refrains from using the word “summoning” for calling in foreign diplomats, said in a statement: “The US Charge d’Affaires, Mr Jason Meeks, was summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs today. A strong protest was lodged with him regarding the continuing attacks by US naval forces on commercial vessels carrying Indian mariners in the Gulf of Oman, which have already resulted in the tragic and avoidable loss of three Indian lives.”
The MEA also “conveyed its deep concern over the use of lethal and deadly force against civilian shipping. Such actions are unacceptable and undermine the safety, security and stability of international maritime commerce in a sensitive region at a difficult time”.
“The US Charge d’Affaires was requested to convey India’s strong concerns to his authorities and to ensure that US forces operating in the region take all necessary measures to prevent the loss of civilian life,” it said.
Meeks was first summoned on Wednesday following an attack earlier in the day by American forces on MT Settebello.
13 Indians killed, 1 missing
The war in West Asia, triggered by the US-Israeli attack on Iran on February 28, and the subsequent naval blockade near the Strait of Hormuz have jeopardised Indian lives and livelihoods.
Indian seafarers, a part of the global shipping industry, have become casualties in the ongoing conflict. At least 13 Indians have been killed since the start of the war, and one remains missing.
Maritime security and the safety of seafarers are major concerns in the Strait of Hormuz area. The strait is the key channel through which 20 per cent of the global energy supply passes in large carriers. Qatar, UAE, and Kuwait have all been negatively impacted by the closure of the strait, and that has led to a global rise in prices of oil and gas, and impacted the supply of LPG to India and other countries.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (left) and External Affairs Minister of India S Jaishankar (right). (Photos: AP/PTI) 
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