US secretary of state Marco Rubio told external affairs minister S Jaishankar that all commercial vessels operating in the Strait of Hormuz must comply immediately with orders issued by US forces.According to a US state department readout of the conversation, Rubio spoke with Jaishankar on Saturday and discussed recent developments in the Strait of Hormuz, which has become a flashpoint amid the ongoing US-Iran confrontation. “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. 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,” the statment said.The call came after India lodged a strong protest over a series of incidents involving commercial vessels carrying Indian crew members in the Gulf of Oman. Three ships with Indian sailors on board have come under attack off the Oman coast within a week, with one incident resulting in the deaths of three Indian seafarers.Also read: Jaishankar lodges ‘strong protest’ with RubioFollowing his conversation with Rubio, Jaishankar said India had conveyed its concerns directly to Washington. “Spoke to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio this evening. 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,” he wrote on X.The three sailors were killed after the tanker MT Settebello came under fire on Wednesday. US forces had accused the vessel of violating the blockade imposed on Iranian ports. Of the 24 Indian crew members on board, 21 were rescued while three were later confirmed dead.India has since stepped up its diplomatic response. The ministry of external affairs summoned US Chargé d’Affaires Jason Meeks for the second time in a week and lodged what it described as a “strong protest” over continuing attacks on commercial vessels carrying Indian mariners.
