New Delhi, June 12 (IANS) The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday 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.

India had on Wednesday 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. And we hope and expect that these would end, these would come to an immediate halt. Also our deep concerns regarding targeting of commercial ships, of marine personnel, as also civilian infrastructure. So, we conveyed our concerns to the American side, to the US side on these attacks,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had stated during a media briefing on Thursday.

The United States said on Thursday that it is in “direct contact” with India on the issue.

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 told IANS.

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.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important energy transit routes, carrying a substantial share of global oil and gas exports. The waterway has become increasingly sensitive as tensions and military activity have escalated across the region.

India has one of the world’s largest seafaring workforces, with thousands of Indian nationals serving aboard merchant vessels operating in the Gulf and other international waters. New Delhi has routinely raised concerns over maritime security whenever regional conflicts threaten commercial shipping lanes.

–IANS

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