India summons US diplomat for 2nd time over attacks on tankers off Oman cost

India on Friday summoned US Charg d'Affaires Jason Meeks for the second time in two days another merchant vessel carrying 20 Indian crew  members came under attack off the coast of Oman.

India on Friday summoned US Charg d'Affaires Jason Meeks for the second time in two days to formally register India’s strong protest over the continuing attacks on commercial vessels near the coast of Oman.

Latest attack marks third such incident involving Indian sailors in just four days.
 
The diplomatic action comes after another attack in the region on Thursday, when a commercial vessel carrying 20 Indian crew members was targeted off the coast of Oman.

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The latest incident prompted the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to summon the US mission for the second time amid growing concerns over maritime security. During the meeting, the Additional Secretary (Americas) conveyed India's serious concerns regarding the repeated attacks on commercial shipping.

The situation has turned fatal for Indian nationals at sea. In a tragic development, three Indian seafarers, who were initially reported missing following one of the previous attacks, have now been confirmed dead.

The latest escalation marks the first time New Delhi has publicly acknowledged the US Navy targeting commercial vessels carrying Indian sailors. Official figures indicate that over a span of four days, three foreign-flagged merchant ships with Indian crew members on board were struck off the coast of Oman.

The tensions began on June 8, when US forces disabled the Palau-flagged oil tanker Marivex, which had 24 Indian crew members aboard. Although everyone on the vessel was rescued safely, another Palau-flagged tanker, Settebello, was targeted two days later, resulting in the deaths of three Indian seafarers.

Speaking at an inter-ministerial media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal outlined India’s strong diplomatic response and the concerns conveyed to the US side following the summoning of its envoy.

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