India’s government on June 11 strongly condemned U.S. strikes on three ships with Indian crew in the Gulf of Oman this week, which left at least three dead.
Three foreign-flagged vessels carrying Indian crew have recently been attacked by the U.S. Navy, Randhir Jaiswal, a spokesman for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, said at a briefing in New Delhi.
“The continuing attacks on shipping are deeply worrisome,” he said. “We have lodged a strong protest with the U.S. It’s our expectation that due note will be taken.”
On June 10, the ministry summoned a top U.S. diplomat, the Charge de Affairs Jason Meeks, to its offices to register its displeasure about the incident, according to officials familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified because the discussions were private. India reiterated its position during the meeting that the fighting should be halted, they said.
The U.S. has been enforcing a blockade on ships traveling to and from Iranian ports since mid-April, part of a broader effort to pressure Tehran to end its own restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump has warned Iran this week that it would “pay the price” for delaying negotiations on an interim peace deal.
Thirteen Indian flagged vessels remain stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, Mukesh Mangal, additional secretary in the shipping ministry said at the briefing on June 11.
On June 10, U.S. forces struck the Settebello carrying 24 Indian crew members. Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said on June 11 that three crew members initially reported missing had been confirmed dead.
U.S. Central Command said on June 10 that it had “disabled” the Palau-flagged tanker as it transited the Gulf of Oman. “A U.S. aircraft fired precision munitions into the ship’s engine room after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions from American forces,” according to the statement.
U.S. forces also fired on Marivex, an empty tanker suspected of involvement in the Iranian oil trade, earlier this week. All 24 Indian crew members aboard the vessel were rescued.
The timing of the strikes risks complicating U.S.-India ties at a time when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to meet U.S. President Donald Trump at the margins of the G7 Summit in Paris, June 15-17; their first meeting since February 2025.
The attack on the Settebello drew condemnation from the International Maritime Organization on June 10. “This is simply unacceptable,” IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said in a statement. “The protection of seafarers is a shared responsibility that must remain paramount.”
Settebello is medium-range products tanker used mainly to carry refined petroleum products. Ship tracking data showed that it was empty at the time of attack.
“The continuing incidents of attacks on shipping in the region are deeply worrisome and a direct result of the ongoing conflict in the region,” India’s foreign ministry said on June 10 after the latest attack. “The targeting of commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure in the region must end.”
