Rubio communicated this to Union External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, who engaged with him on Friday (June 12) to lodge a firm protest regarding the deaths of Indian nationals in US attacks on vessels off the coast of Oman.
“The Secretary emphasized that all commercial vessels must promptly adhere to directives from US forces as they work to maintain peace and security in the Strait,” said State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott.
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Rubio reiterated that violations of the US blockade and the illicit transport of Iranian oil will not be tolerated, Pigott noted in a statement.
On Friday, India summoned Charge d’Affaires Jason Meeks and expressed that the American military’s deadly strikes on commercial vessels with Indian crew members off the coast of Oman are unacceptable.
A Palau-flagged oil tanker, Marivex, carrying 24 Indian seafarers, was compromised by US forces on June 8. Thankfully, all crew members were safely rescued.
On June 10, the US targeted another Palau-flagged tanker, Settebello, resulting in the death of three out of the 24 Indian sailors on board. Additionally, another vessel, Jalveer, a Guinea-Bissau-flagged tanker with 20 Indians, was attacked on Thursday.
(Edited by : Jomy Jos Pullokaran)
First Published: Jun 13, 2026 8:38 PM IST
