In a phone call between (Trump Administration’s) Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, the United States stated in clear and strong terms that any violation of the naval blockade imposed by American forces on the Strait of Hormuz and Iranian ports “will not be tolerated at any cost.”
SNPNEWS.IN INDIA (International News): After Iran temporarily closed the Strait of Hormuz during the US-Israel-Iran war, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) imposed a naval blockade and restrictions on Iran after President Donald Trump’s Order. Nine ships suspected of violating the blockade were disabled, and the routes of 135 vessels were changed.
Among the affected ships between 8 and 11 June were three vessels carrying Indian crew:
- MT Marivex (24 Indian crew members – all safe)
- MT Settebello (28 crew members, including 24 Indians, of whom 3 Indians were killed)
- MT Jalveer (20 Indian crew members)
These ships were either sailing under the Indian flag or carrying Indian crew.
With the targeting of Indian vessels by CENTCOM during the US-Israel-Iran conflict, India — one of the world’s largest suppliers of maritime manpower (accounting for about 15% of global seafarers) — now faces a serious challenge. India summoned the US Deputy Chief of Mission in Delhi, Jason Meeks, and registered a strong protest. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that targeting commercial ships and innocent civilians must stop immediately.
According to a report in The Indian Express, on 12 June 2026, while touring Europe, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar called US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and strongly protested the deaths of Indian seafarers. In response, the US State Department issued a statement justifying its actions and warning that operations against ships violating CENTCOM orders or carrying what the US calls “illegal Iranian oil” could continue.
Following the US statement, The Quint published a report calling the attacks on commercial vessels with Indian crew near the Omani coast a sign of the Trump and US military’s highly aggressive and “trigger-happy” attitude.
The report revealed a major detail: On Wednesday (10 June), Indian Navy personnel in Kochi, Kerala, recovered a live American Hellfire Missile from the hull of a Greek-owned ship. The missile had failed to explode. This discovery highlights the deadly weapons the US is using against civilian commercial vessels.
The Quint also pointed out the significant diplomatic differences in the official readouts issued by the Indian and American foreign ministries. According to the report, S. Jaishankar used unusually strong and blunt language with Marco Rubio. India clearly stated that lethal action against commercial vessels is unjustifiable and that the US must be held accountable for the deaths of the three Indians. India has drawn a firm “red line” on the safety of its citizens.
In contrast, the US State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott’s statement expressed no regret or apology for the deaths of Indian seafarers. Instead, it stressed that illegal smuggling of Iranian oil and violations of the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz “will not be tolerated.” All ships must immediately obey CENTCOM orders.
The report criticises India’s current foreign policy, saying that in this Middle East crisis, India has been reduced to a mere “bystander” (silent spectator), and its own people are suffering as collateral damage.
India, once known for maintaining friendly relations with all sides, has adopted a position of “pro-US-Israel neutrality” in this conflict. This is why, despite public anger, the Indian government is reluctant to take any major or strong steps against the United States.
The report notes that nearly 300,000 Indian seafarers work on merchant ships worldwide. If a superpower like the US continues launching missile strikes on commercial vessels and India only responds with protest notes, the lives of Indian citizens working at sea will be in grave danger. This situation is being described as a “wake-up call” for India’s maritime sector.
Read it: America Attacks Indian ship M/T Settebello, 3 Crew Members Dead
Amid the high tension caused by the US naval blockade and missile attacks in the Gulf between 8–11 June, a video shared on social media on 13 June by fellow Indian crew members confirmed the tragic death of another Indian seafarer. The crew alleged that the Indian embassy and local authorities provided no immediate assistance. As a result, the body of the deceased seafarer, Nishant, remained on the ship for more than two days. With no refrigeration or cold storage available, the body started decomposing.
Other Indian crew members placed cold water bottles around the body in an attempt to preserve it. The incident left the seafarers feeling completely isolated and “at God’s mercy.”
After the video went viral and triggered public outrage in India, the Seafarers’ Union questioned why the Indian government and embassies are not taking concrete steps to protect the safety of over 18,000 Indian seafarers stranded in the Gulf due to the US blockade.
Following the backlash, the Indian government and Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) acted promptly. The Indian Embassy in Muscat, Oman, coordinated with the Omani Coast Guard and local authorities to remove the body from the ship and transfer it to a government hospital mortuary in Muscat.
The MEA has established special emergency control rooms at the Indian Embassies in Muscat (Oman) and Dubai (UAE). Special helplines have been issued for Indian seafarers and their families in distress in the Gulf region. Instructions have also been given to immediately issue Emergency Travel Certificates to seafarers whose passports or documents were lost or damaged during the attacks or chaos, enabling them to fly back to India quickly.
Under mounting domestic pressure after the video emerged, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar once again conveyed a strong protest to the US administration, demanding that such mental and physical harassment of innocent crew members on commercial vessels must stop immediately.