Two months ago, India summoned Iran’s ambassador after the IRGC fired on two Indian tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. On Thursday, India summoned the US Ambassador for the same reason — except this time, three Indians were dead.
A US Navy vessel fired on a commercial cargo ship transiting the strait on June 12. Three Indian crew members were killed, four injured. The US 5th Fleet called it a “defensive action” — the vessel “failed to respond to warnings” and “exhibited hostile maneuvering.” Survivors told investigators they were following standard transit protocols. India publicly rejected the American account.
Jaishankar Called Rubio Directly Over Indian Sailor Deaths
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar called Secretary of State Marco Rubio directly. The two had met face-to-face at the Quad ministerial in Delhi just three weeks earlier, where maritime security in Hormuz was on the agenda. Jaishankar’s message this time was eleven words long: “Lethal actions against commercial shipping are not justified under any circumstances.”
Rubio expressed regret. He also defended US rules of engagement. India demanded a full investigation, accountability, and compensation for the families. None of those have been agreed to.
The Ally You Have to Protest
Here is what makes this hard. The same US Navy that killed three Indian sailors has been escorting Indian LPG tankers through the strait for months. 85% of India’s oil comes through Hormuz. Protesting Washington while leaning on the 5th Fleet for energy security is the diplomatic tightrope no Indian government has had to walk before.
The May 23 Iran peace framework was supposed to end this. The strait stayed militarised. Three navies, three rule-books, one narrow waterway.
Iran fired on Indian tankers in April. Pro-Iranian forces sank an Indian cargo vessel in May. An American warship killed Indian sailors in June. Three incidents, three navies, one constant — Indians on the ships. The envoys have been summoned. The phone calls have been made. The crews keep sailing, because the oil keeps coming, because there is no other route.