New Delhi:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday addressed the deaths of Indian seafarers in a US military strike during an address to G7 leaders, which included US President Donald Trump. The Prime Minister stressed on the human cost of disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz while calling for the protection of maritime trade routes.
“We welcome the progress made in peace efforts in West Asia. This conflict has caused loss of life and property in our friendly countries in the region. Disruptions to maritime trade through the Strait of Hormuz have adversely affected the global economy,” the PM said.
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“Several Indian civilians have also lost their lives. The safety of seafarers, who connect nations through global maritime trade, is our responsibility. We must ensure that sea routes remain secure and that seafarers can carry out their work without fear,” he added, speaking during the session on “Forging New Partnerships and Rebuilding International Solidarity” in France’s Evian.
The remarks were delivered in the presence of leaders of the G7 nations at a time when tensions in the Middle East have raised concerns over the security of shipping lanes that carry a significant share of the world’s oil and commercial cargo. The Strait of Hormuz, linking the Persian Gulf with international waters, remains one of the most strategically important maritime chokepoints in the world.
His comments came days after three Indian nationals died when US forces attacked the Palau-flagged oil tanker Settebello in the Gulf of Oman.
The incident involving the Settebello occurred earlier this week. The vessel had a crew of 28, including 24 Indian nationals and four others – two Pakistanis, one Ukrainian, and one Russian. US forces struck the tanker after it allegedly failed to follow instructions and was said to be carrying oil from Iran in violation of a US blockade.
This was one of three separate incidents involving merchant vessels with Indian crew members.
While the Prime Minister did not directly mention the recent incident involving the deaths of three Indian nationals, his comments appeared to underline New Delhi’s concerns about the safety of civilian crews operating in conflict zones and the economic consequences of disruptions to maritime commerce.
The US Attacks
On June 8, US forces disabled the Palau-flagged tanker Marivex, which had 24 Indian seafarers on board –all crew were safely rescued. The Settebello was attacked on June 9, resulting in the three Indian deaths. On June 11, US forces targeted the Guinea-Bissau-flagged tanker Jalveer, which carried 20 Indian crew members.
The US Central Command stated that it took action against the three vessels — Marivex, Settebello, and Jalveer — because they were attempting to violate the US blockade of Iranian ports.
In the case of Jalveer, a combat aircraft fired two Hellfire missiles into the engine room after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions. All three vessels were foreign-flagged — two Palau-flagged and one Guinea-Bissau-flagged.
None were Indian-owned.
India’s Response
On Thursday, the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed the US Navy’s role in the attacks on the three ships and lodged a strong protest. Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated at a news briefing that the strikes “must stop.”
The ministry summoned US Charge d’Affaires Jason Meeks and handed him a demarche expressing India’s deepest concern.”
We attach high importance to the welfare and well-being of our seafaring community. When this particular attack on the ship Settebello occurred, we lodged a strong protest with the American side,” Jaiswal said. “We summoned the US Charge d’Affaires and he was conveyed our deepest concern over the ongoing incidents of attacks. We also registered our strong protest.”
