Violations of the US blockade of Iranian ports “will not be tolerated", US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told India’s top diplomat, who said US strikes in the Gulf killed three Indian nationals.
“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,” a statement by the State Department said on Saturday.
“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 US blockade and the illicit transport of Iranian oil will not be tolerated.”
On Friday, India’s External Affairs Minister Jaishankar said that in talks with Rubio he protested US attacks on vessels off the coast of Oman amid the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
“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.
India on Friday also summoned the top US diplomat in New Delhi for the second time in a week to protest the attacks, official sources told Anadolu.
According to the US Central Command, it disabled the Guinea-Bissau-flagged M/T Jalveer and Palau-flagged tankers M/T Marivex and M/T Settebello for trying to transport Iranian oil.
On Wednesday, three Indian sailors were killed in a US strike on the Palau-flagged MT Settebello off the coast of Oman.
That followed a June 8 strike on the MT Marivex, another Palau-flagged tanker. Omani authorities airlifted 24 Indian sailors off the stricken vessel.
On Thursday, a Guinea-Bissau-flagged tanker was hit in a US strike. New Delhi said its crew, who included 20 Indian sailors, were rescued.
