'Not justified': India lodges strong protest with US as Jaishankar raises Indian mariners' death with Rubio
PTC News Desk: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Friday said he spoke with Marco Rubio and strongly objected to the US naval attacks in the Gulf that killed three Indian sailors. He said India had clearly conveyed its protest and stressed that using deadly force against commercial ships is unacceptable.
Jaishankar shared on X that he had reiterated India's strong opposition to the attacks, saying that such actions against civilian shipping cannot be justified.
"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 wrote on X.
His remarks came after three Indian crew members aboard the Palau-flagged tanker MT Settebello were killed in a US strike off the coast of Oman. The ship had 24 Indian crew members, of whom 21 were rescued, while the three missing sailors were later confirmed dead.
Following the incident, India lodged a strong protest with the United States and summoned the US chargé d'affaires in New Delhi. The Ministry of External Affairs expressed deep concern over the use of force against civilian vessels and said such attacks threaten the safety and stability of international maritime trade.
Earlier, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said attacks on merchant ships carrying Indian crew members must stop immediately. He also urged all sides to resolve tensions through dialogue and diplomacy to restore peace and stability in the region.
- PTC NEWS
