NEW DELHI: India on Friday escalated its diplomatic response to a series of attacks on commercial vessels off the coast of Oman by summoning United States Chargé d’Affaires Jason Meeks for the second time in two days and lodging a strong protest over incidents that have now claimed the lives of three Indian seafarers.
The strong protest with the US was launched a day after all three Indian crew members who had been reported missing following the attack on the Palau-flagged tanker MT Settebello had been confirmed dead.
The government conveyed its deep concern over the continuing attacks on commercial vessels carrying Indian mariners off the coast of Oman and reiterated India's opposition to the use of force against civilian shipping.
"The Ministry once again conveyed its deep concern over the use of lethal and deadly force against civilian shipping. Such actions are unacceptable and undermine the safety, security and stability of international maritime commerce in a sensitive region at a difficult time," the MEA said.
It added that the Chargé d’Affaires had been requested to convey India’s concerns to Washington and ensure that US forces operating in the region take all necessary measures to prevent further loss of civilian life.
The diplomatic protest follows a series of attacks on merchant vessels linked to the escalating US-Iran confrontation in the Gulf region.
The most serious incident involved MT Settebello, a tanker carrying 24 Indian crew members that was struck earlier this week off the coast of Oman. While 21 crew members were rescued during a search-and-rescue operation involving Indian and Omani authorities, three sailors were later found dead.
India had already summoned the US Chargé d’Affaires on Wednesday following the attack on MT Settebello, but the second summoning marked a further hardening of New Delhi’s position after confirmation of the fatalities.
The deaths come amid a troubling pattern of attacks on merchant shipping in the region. On June 8, MT Marivex, carrying 24 Indian nationals, was reportedly struck by US forces after allegedly attempting to proceed towards an Iranian port despite a naval blockade. All crew members were rescued by Omani authorities.
A day later, MT Settebello came under attack, resulting in the deaths of three Indian sailors.
On Thursday, another commercial vessel, MT Jalveer, reportedly came under attack near Shinas port off the Omani coast, with initial reports suggesting around 20 Indian crew members were on board, although details remain unclear.
The three attacks in four days have exposed the growing risks faced by Indian seafarers as tensions between the United States and Iran spill into some of the world's busiest and most strategically important shipping lanes.
Maritime analysts note that two of the vessels involved, MT Marivex and MT Settebello, have reportedly been linked to sanctions-evasion networks and the so-called “grey fleet” or “dark fleet”, vessels accused of transporting oil outside conventional monitoring systems.
Such ships are often alleged to operate with limited transparency and, in some cases, switch off their Automatic Identification Systems (AIS), making them more vulnerable to scrutiny and interception in a region that is already heavily militarised.
