India on Friday summoned US Chargé d’Affaires Jason Meeks in protest over the attacks on Indian vessels off the coast of Oman amid the ongoing war between the United States and Iran. This is the second time in 48 hours when Meeks has been summoned by New Delhi.
Meeks, who is the Deputy Chief of Mission at Embassy in New Delhi, was called in by Additional Secretary (Americas) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
The development comes a day after a merchant vessel, identified as MT Jalveer, with 20 Indian crew members was targeted near the Shinas port of Oman on Thursday. Jalveer, according to ship monitoring website MarineTraffic, is a Guinea-flagged ship.
Several videos had also gone viral on social media showing smoke arising from the vessel. Later, the Indian Embassy in Oman said it was monitoring the situation and coordinating with local authorities.
The attack on Jalveer was the third such instance of an attack on a vessel. On June 8, the first incident had happened after a blaze erupted on the MT Marivex following a strike. The tanker had 24 Indians, who were rescued safely by the authorities.
On June 10, another tanker identified as MT Settebello was attacked in the Gulf of Oman. The vessel was a Palau-flagged tanker. The vessel had 24 crew members, of which 21 were rescued safely but three people died.
"It is deeply unfortunate to learn of the tragic incident aboard the Palau-flagged MT Settebello. Sadly, three Indian seafarers initially reported missing are now confirmed dead after bodies have been located and identified," said Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Thursday in an X post.
"This is a profound loss to our maritime family. The Modi Govt stands firmly with the bereaved during this difficult hour and is fully committed to supporting the next of kin," he added.
Following the June 10 incident, India summoned Meeks and lodged a strong protest over the attacks. India has maintained that attacks on commercial ships and civilian infrastructure amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East is unacceptable and shipping lanes must remain free and open for all vessels.
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