Overview
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi used a G7 outreach session on Tuesday to call for international cooperation to protect merchant crews and keep sea lanes safe for trade.
- Indian officials have protested recent strikes on three merchant vessels near Oman identified as MT Marivex, MT Settebello and MT Jalveer, and reporting says three Indian seafarers died when MT Settebello was struck on June 10.
- New Delhi summoned the senior US diplomat in New Delhi and lodged a formal demarche to press for accountability while rescuing and evacuating affected crew members.
- Modi spoke in measured language and did not name the United States, a choice that preserved close ties with President Donald Trump while pressing partners for stronger collective action.
- The incidents highlight risks to the Strait of Hormuz, a key energy corridor, and raise the prospect of multilateral steps on maritime security, insurance costs and safeguards for the large number of Indian seafarers who work on global shipping routes.