MEA summons US envoy again over attacks on ships carrying Indians

India lodged a strong protest with the US over attacks on commercial vessels carrying Indian seafarers, while the UN and Iran condemned the incidents

India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday summoned the US Chargé d'Affaires (CDA) for the second time in three days and lodged a "strong protest" over the "continuing attacks by the US naval forces on commercial vessels carrying Indian mariners in the Gulf of Oman". US forces in West Asia have attacked three vessels carrying Indian seafarers since Monday, the latest taking place on Thursday.

 

The MEA had earlier summoned the US CDA on Wednesday evening and again on Friday, a day after the Indian government said three Indian sailors were killed in a US military attack on the Palau-flagged MT Settebello on Wednesday, and following the attack on the Guinea-Bissau-flagged MT Jalveer on Thursday.

 

 

The MEA on Friday told the US CDA that these attacks have "already resulted in the tragic and avoidable loss of three Indian lives". It "once again conveyed its deep concern over the use of lethal and deadly force against civilian shipping".

 

It said: "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 requested the US CDA to convey India's strong concerns to his authorities and to ensure that US forces operating in the region take all necessary measures to prevent the loss of civilian life.

 

On Thursday, at a press briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that during Wednesday's summoning of the US CDA, India conveyed its deepest concerns over the incidents, the string of attacks and targeting of commercial ships, marine personnel, as well as civilian infrastructure. "So, we conveyed our concerns to the US side on these attacks," he said, adding that New Delhi hoped these would come to an end.

 

A Palau-flagged oil tanker, MT Marivex, carrying 24 Indian seafarers, was disabled by US forces on June 8. All crew members were safely rescued. On Wednesday, the US Navy attacked the Palau-flagged MT Settebello, in which three Indian sailors were killed, while Omani authorities rescued the remaining crew members, including 21 Indians. It was the second attack on a vessel carrying Indian seafarers this week.

 

On Thursday, in a third such attack on a merchant vessel carrying Indian seafarers, the Guinea-Bissau-flagged MT Jalveer came under attack by US forces, with all 20 Indians on board safely evacuated. The US Central Command (Centcom) said it disabled the Guinea-Bissau-flagged MT Jalveer for allegedly violating its blockade against Iran by attempting to transport Iranian oil.

 

At an inter-ministerial briefing on Thursday, Indian officials blamed US forces for targeting three merchant ships with Indian crew members off the coast of Oman this week, resulting in the deaths of three nationals. This was New Delhi's first public acknowledgement of the US Navy's role in the attacks. Officials also said that two of the three vessels were subject to sanctions administered by the US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), while another had been classified as non-compliant. OFAC, the US Treasury Department's financial intelligence and enforcement agency, monitors vessels that violate US sanctions on the sale of Iranian and Russian oil.

 

According to a PTI report, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned the attack on MT Settebello in which three Indian seafarers were killed.

 

“...Notably, the Settebello tanker was hit and a number of Indian seafarers were killed. And that is an attack that was clearly condemned by the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). And we fully support and second that language," spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General Stephane Dujarric said at the daily press briefing on Thursday.

 

IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez expressed his "deep sadness" and "strong condemnation" of the attack on MT Settebello. Dominguez said in a statement that he "strongly" condemns any act by any party that endangers the lives of seafarers and the safety of international shipping.

 

"This is simply unacceptable,” he said. “All actions affecting international shipping must fully respect international law and the safety of life at sea. The protection of seafarers is a shared responsibility that must remain paramount,” Dominguez said.

 

The IMO said it is monitoring the situation closely and has called for a full and transparent investigation into the circumstances of the incident.

 

PTI reported that Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei on Friday criticised the US attacks on merchant ships carrying Indian crew members, saying such actions "threaten global peace and security".

 

“We extend our sympathies to the families and friends of the slain Indian sailors and offer our sincere condolences to the Indian people and government."

 

The Iranian official appealed to the international community to hold the US accountable, adding that its conduct "continues to threaten global peace and security while endangering the freedom of navigation".

 

He said the incidents "stand as clear evidence of America's ongoing policy of armed robbery and state piracy".

 

The Congress party kept up its pressure on the government over the deaths of Indian seafarers in attacks by the US military. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi posted on X on Friday that three Indians had been killed in US attacks on three ships in international waters within three days, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi had not said a word.

 

“When any foreign power murders an Indian, the prime minister has to speak up. But he can never utter even one word. Next week at the G7, just days after the murder of our sailors, Modi ji will smile, embrace, and sign agreements — but for those three Indians, he won't have a word to spare," the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha said.

 

At the MEA's briefing on Prime Minister Modi's visit to France and Slovakia, Jaiswal said on Thursday that India would raise the issue of unimpeded and safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz at the Group of Seven (G7) meeting in France, which the prime minister will attend.

 

India has the second-largest seafaring workforce in the world, with more than 320,000 Indian seafarers working in different parts of the world.

 

“Looking after our seafaring community, their welfare and well-being, is extremely important to us. We will continue to reiterate this point and keep working for their welfare and security,” Jaiswal said on Thursday.

 

 (with PTI inputs)