Blockade violation won't be tolerated: Rubio to Jaishankar as India protests attacks
Marco Rubio, the United States Secretary of State, told India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar that Washington would not tolerate any violation of the blockade
Marco Rubio, the United States Secretary of State, told India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar that Washington would not tolerate any violation of the blockade on the conflict-torn maritime chokepoint, the Strait of Hormuz. The development occurred on June 12. Jaishankar spoke to the US Secretary of State over the recent attack by the United States on the oil tanker Setebello, which killed three Indian seafarers. During the conversation, Jaishankar expressed his strong dissatisfaction regarding the incident and the loss of lives. Read Full Story “Spoke to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio this evening.
I reiterated India’s strong protest at the attacks by the US Navy in the Gulf that killed three Indian mariners. Such lethal actions against commercial shipping are not justified," Jaishankar wrote on X. A day later, the US Department of Justice also released a statement briefing crux of what the two leaders discussed. "Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke yesterday with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. The two officials discussed recent events in the Strait of Hormuz. The Secretary stressed that all commercial vessels should immediately comply with orders from US forces as they seek to uphold peace and security in the Strait.
He underscored that violations of the U.S. blockade and the illicit transport of Iranian oil will not be tolerated," the statement read. The conversation came days after three Indian crew members were killed in a US strike on the Palau-flagged tanker MT Settebello off the coast of Oman, triggering a sharp response from New Delhi. The vessel had 24 Indian crew members on board, of whom 21 were rescued, while the three missing sailors were later confirmed dead. New Delhi also lodged a strong protest with Washington and summoned the US Charg d'Affaires in New Delhi.
The Ministry of External Affairs said it had conveyed its deep concern over the use of lethal force against civilian shipping and stressed that attacks on commercial vessels undermine the safety, security and stability of international maritime commerce. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had earlier said that attacks on merchant vessels carrying Indian crew members must cease immediately. He also called for dialogue and diplomacy to ensure an early return to peace and stability in the region. Ends
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