Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on June 12 summoned US Charge d’Affaires Jason Meeks once again to lodge New Delhi’s protest against continuing attacks on commercial vessels off the coast of Oman which recently claimed the lives of three Indian seafarers.
Earlier, India had lodged a “strong protest” over recent attacks on vessels operating near the Strait of Hormuz, including the commercial ship Settebello off the coast of Oman, where three Indian nationals were killed.
“We had summoned the US CdA to register our protest on the attack that happened on this commercial vessel off the coast of Oman Settebello. Three Indian nationals have died in that incident. We conveyed our deepest concerns on these incidents and the string of attacks that are happening,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had stated earlier.
Responding to India’s diplomatic demarche, a US State Department official said Washington remains engaged with the Indian government on the matter.
“The Department of State is in direct contact with the Indian government regarding this matter,” the official said.
India has repeatedly stressed the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open to international shipping.
The MEA said all three vessels involved in the recent incidents were foreign-flagged ships.
“As you would have seen in the various reports, as also in what was clarified through our statements and otherwise from this podium, the three ships that have been involved in the incidents are foreign-flagged. Two of them are Palau-flagged, and the third one, which came under attack today, is Guinea-flagged. They are not Indian owned ships, they are all foreign flagships. I also understand that two of them are OFAC-sanctioned ships and one of them also is in the category of a non-compliant ship,” MEA spokesperson Jaiswal said.
