External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a telephonic conversation amid escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, with India strongly protesting the deaths of three Indian mariners in a US military action against a commercial vessel.
According to a statement issued by the US Department of State, the two leaders discussed recent developments in the Strait of Hormuz. During the conversation, Rubio stressed that all commercial vessels operating in the strategic waterway should immediately comply with orders issued by US forces. He also said that violations of the US blockade and the transport of Iranian oil would not be tolerated.
The conversation came days after three Indian sailors were killed in a US military strike on a commercial tanker in the Gulf of Oman. The vessel was reportedly targeted after US forces alleged that it had violated restrictions linked to the ongoing blockade of Iranian ports.
In a post on X, Jaishankar said he had conveyed India’s strong objections to the US action.
“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,” the External Affairs Minister said.
The Ministry of External Affairs had earlier summoned US Charge d’Affaires Jason Meeks to lodge a formal protest over attacks on commercial vessels operating off the coast of Oman.
The US State Department, meanwhile, maintained that American forces are acting to uphold peace and security in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important maritime trade routes. Rubio underscored Washington’s position that commercial vessels transiting the area must comply with instructions issued by US forces.
-ANI
