U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. File
| Photo Credit: AP
On Friday (June 12, 2026), after India summoned U.S. Embassy representative Jason Meeks and lodged its “strong protest” against the missile attacks on ships carrying Indian crew, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar that violations of the American blockade and “illicit transport of Iranian oil” would not be tolerated.
Recalling his discussion with Mr. Rubio, Mr. Jaishankar posted on X: “I reiterated India’s strong protest at the attacks by the U.S. Navy in the Gulf that killed three Indian mariners. Such lethal actions against commercial shipping are not justified.”
West Asia war LIVE updates – June 13, 2026
The two discussed the Strait of Hormuz situation following U.S. missile strikes on three vessels — Marivex near Duqm, and Settebello and Jalveer near Shinas — that killed three Indian seafarers off the Oman coast. The U.S. State Department said Mr. Rubio further told Mr. Jaishankar that “all commercial vessels should immediately comply with orders from U.S. forces as they seek to uphold peace and security in the Strait”.
The divergence between the two nations on this issue comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in France on the sidelines of the G7 summit next week, according to a White House statement.
Insensitive partner, says Tharoor
Shashi Tharoor, head of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, said in a post on X that the U.S. statement “contains absolutely no expression of regret or condolence for the loss of innocent Indian lives. How can a “friend” and strategic partner be so deeply insensitive? Is it not possible to disable a ship’s propulsion or steering without firing missiles targeted to kill civilian crew members? Practically every merchant ship navigating these crucial waters has Indian crew on board. Are they all considered fair game for US missiles now?”
The U.S. Central Command has maintained that the crew of all three vessels had “repeatedly failed to comply with directions from U.S. forces”. It described Marivex as attempting to sail to an Iranian port.
Marivex was attacked at anchorage off Duqm some 420 nautical miles from the Strait. Marinetraffic.com has tracked Marivex loitering in the same area for nearly a week before the June 8 strike.
Settebello’s management company, IOS Marine FZE, had flatly contradicted the Centcom account, stating that no warnings were issued and no communication was established with the U.S. Navy. Demanding evidence of the claimed communication from U.S. Navy, it said the vessel had been stationary off Shinas port for nearly 10 days.
Meanwhile, Manoj Yadav, general secretary of the Forward Seamen’s Union of India who had received the statement from IOS Marine and posted it on X, has urged the Indian government to deploy naval and intelligence support for Indian-associated vessels in the region, deepen diplomatic engagement with Oman so as to support merchant shipping in the area, and issue clear guidance for ships operating in high-risk areas.
Published – June 13, 2026 07:55 pm IST
