India summons U.S. envoy over deadly Oman shipping strikes

India summoned U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Jason Meeks for a second time in three days after American strikes on commercial shipping off Oman killed three Indian sailors and left another Indian-crewed vessel under attack. The protest sharpened a rare public rupture between two governments that have spent two decades building closer strategic ties, now colliding over maritime security, civilian lives and sovereignty in a vital trade corridor.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs said it had called in the American envoy to convey “deep concern” over the use of lethal force against civilian shipping. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India had lodged a “strong protest” after the attack on the Palau-flagged oil-products tanker Settebello, where three Indian sailors were killed. A second ship carrying 20 Indian crew members was struck on June 11, but no deaths or injuries were reported.

The incidents have put New Delhi in the politically difficult position of defending Indian mariners while confronting Washington over a U.S. campaign aimed at vessels it says were tied to Iranian oil shipments. U.S. Central Command said the June 10 strike was part of enforcement against a vessel attempting to transport Iranian oil, and later said a U.S. aircraft fired two Hellfire missiles into the engine room of the M/T Jalveer after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions. CENTCOM said the operation was part of a blockade on Iran-linked shipping that began on April 13 and that U.S. forces had disabled eight ships and turned back more than 100 others.

For India, the issue is not only the loss of life but the precedent. The Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz are among the most sensitive shipping lanes in the world, carrying a major share of global oil and liquefied natural gas trade. Indian officials and families of the sailors have demanded accountability, while opposition voices, including Congress, have criticized the government for failing to shield Indian nationals working on international routes exposed to foreign military action.

The diplomatic timing is especially awkward. The dispute erupted just days before a likely meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in France, where trade, security and the Middle East war are all expected to dominate the agenda. For Washington, the strikes have created an immediate human toll and a wider political cost with one of its most important partners in Asia.