Ahmad Adil
12 June 2026•Update: 12 June 2026
India on Friday summoned a US diplomat in New Delhi for the second time in a week to protest attacks on vessels off the coast of Oman amid the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, official sources told Anadolu.
Jason Meeks, the charge d’Affaires of the US diplomatic mission, was summoned to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs to protest attacks on commercial vessels, the sources said.
On Thursday, the Indian government said that at least three Indians were killed after US forces targeted the vessels off the coast of Oman.
India's Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement that during Friday’s summoning it had “conveyed its deep concern over the use of lethal and deadly force against civilian shipping.”
“Such actions are unacceptable and undermine the safety, security and stability of international maritime commerce in a sensitive region at a difficult time,” the ministry said.
New Delhi said the US diplomat was requested to “convey India’s strong concerns” to his authorities and to “ensure that U.S. forces operating in the region take all necessary measures to prevent the loss of civilian life.”
Previously, New Delhi had summoned Meeks on Wednesday to protest the attacks.
An official from India's External Affairs Ministry said Thursday that the US Navy had launched attacks on three vessels that carried Indians off the coast of Oman.
All the vessels were foreign-flagged but carried Indian crew.
According to the US Central Command, it disabled Guinea-Bissau-flagged M/T Jalveer, Palau-flagged tankers M/T Marivex and M/T Settebello, for trying to transport Iranian oil, this week.
While Iran has imposed its own blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the US has locked Iranian ports since April 13 amid the war, which began on Feb. 28.
CENTCOM has said American forces have disabled nine non-compliant vessels, redirected 135 ships that complied, and allowed 42 vessels supporting humanitarian aid to pass since initiating the blockade on April 13.
