West Asia Conflict
India protests US attacks on ships killing mariners
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India lodged a strong protest with the United States after American strikes on commercial ships in the Gulf of Oman killed three Indian mariners. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar raised the issue directly with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The United States maintained that violations of its naval blockade would not be tolerated.
India summoned the US charge d’affaires on Wednesday after a US strike on the commercial vessel Settebello off Oman left three Indian crew members missing. The Ministry of External Affairs condemned the attack and called for de-escalation in the region.
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Following earlier diplomatic outreach, India is ramping up energy security efforts in the Gulf during a two-week ceasefire in the US-Israel-Iran conflict. Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri visits Qatar on April 9-10, and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar heads to the UAE on April 11-12, to secure oil and gas supplies and evaluate conflict impacts.
Indian stock markets recorded a sharp decline on Monday due to escalating tensions in West Asia. US and Israel strikes on Iran caused crude oil prices to surge, heightening investor caution. Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz, potentially disrupting global oil supplies.