The ministry reiterated India’s deep concern over the use of lethal force against civilian shipping and stressed that such actions pose a threat to maritime safety and regional stability.
A diplomatic exchange has intensified as India raised objections and lodged a strong protest with the United States over repeated attacks on commercial vessels carrying Indian seafarers in the waters off Oman. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) summoned US Chargé d’Affaires Jason Meeks for the second time, demanding an immediate end to the incidents and expressing concern over the safety of Indian maritime workers.
The latest move came after a commercial vessel carrying 20 Indian crew members came under attack in the region. The development follows an earlier protest by New Delhi after another vessel, MT Settebello, was targeted, leading to the deaths of three Indian seafarers who were initially reported missing.
Advertisement
Advertisement
The Ministry today conveyed its deep concern over the use of lethal and deadly force against civilian shipping. The MEA said, “Such actions are unacceptable and undermine the safety, security and stability of international maritime commerce in a sensitive region at a difficult time.”
#WATCH | Delhi: US Chargé d’Affaires Jason Meeks leaves from the MEA after about 45 minutes.
MEA summons him to lodge a protest against attacks on commercial vessels off the coast of Oman. Yesterday, yet another vessel with 20 Indian crew on board came under attack. The US… pic.twitter.com/3P1V45fozo
— ANI (@ANI) June 12, 2026
The MEA had earlier summoned the US envoy on Thursday through the Additional Secretary (Americas) in the Ministry of External Affairs to convey India’s concerns.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India attaches “high importance to the welfare and well-being of our seafaring community” and confirmed that a strong protest was registered with the American side.
“We summoned the US Chargé d’Affaires, and he was informed of our deepest concern over the ongoing incidents of attacks. We also registered our strong protest,” Jaiswal said.
He added that such military actions “must stop” and called for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the situation.
“We further conveyed that dialogue and diplomacy are the way forward for the peaceful resolution of the conflict, and that there should be unimpeded access through the Strait of Hormuz in accordance with international law,” Jaiswal stated.
The maritime crisis escalated after US forces targeted three foreign-flagged merchant vessels operating with Indian crew members near Oman.
The first incident took place on June 8 when the Palau-flagged oil tanker Marivex was disabled, carrying 24 Indian crew members. All personnel were rescued safely.
A second Palau-flagged tanker, Settebello, was targeted on June 10, resulting in three Indian seafarer deaths.
Clarifying the nature of the targeted vessels, Randhir Jaiswal said the ships were foreign-flagged and not Indian-owned.
“The three ships that have been involved in these incidents were foreign-flagged vessels. Two of them were Palau-flagged, while the third ship is Guinea-Bissau-flagged. They were not Indian-owned ships,” he said.
The MEA spokesperson added that two vessels were under sanctions administered by the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), while another was classified as non-compliant.
Mukesh Mangal, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, said evacuation operations for seafarers from the third vessel, Jalveer, had begun.
He also confirmed that the remaining crew members of Settebello, including 21 Indians, two Pakistanis, one Russian and one Ukrainian, were evacuated safely.
The Seamen Welfare Fund Society has been directed to release an ex gratia payment of Rs 10 lakh to the families of each deceased Indian sailor.
The situation has drawn attention to the large presence of Indian maritime professionals in the region. Government data shows that more than 18,000 Indian seafarers are currently deployed across the Gulf region.
This includes 562 crew members on 13 Indian-flagged vessels, with 329 personnel operating west of the Strait of Hormuz and 233 navigating the Gulf of Oman.
Advertisement
