India summons US diplomat again over Oman vessel attacks

New Delhi on Friday summoned US charge d'Affaires Jason Meeks to lodge a formal protest over deadly attacks on commercial vessels off the coast of Oman, marking the second such protest in less than a week, according to Anadolu.

Second diplomatic protest

Meeks was called to the ministry to answer for strikes that killed three Indian nationals on Thursday, the sources told Anadolu, adding that New Delhi had previously summoned the diplomat on Wednesday to register its objections over the safety of commercial shipping in the region.

Vessel seizures

The vessels targeted — the Guinea-Bissau-flagged M/T Jalveer and Palau-flagged tankers M/T Marivex and M/T Settebello — were foreign-flagged but carried Indian seamen, officials noted, while the US Central Command stated that American forces disabled the ships for attempting to transport Iranian oil.

Strait of Hormuz blockade

While Iran has imposed its own blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the US has locked Iranian ports since April 13 amid the war that began on Feb. 28, and CENTCOM reported that 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 operation.