Ramesh’s remarks came a day after the United States said it had conveyed to India that any violation of its blockade in the Strait of Hormuz or illicit transportation of Iranian oil would not be tolerated.
Rubio communicated that position to Jaishankar during a phone conversation on Friday, after the Indian minister lodged a strong protest over the deaths of Indian nationals in US attacks on commercial vessels off the coast of Oman.
According to US State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott, Rubio stressed that all commercial vessels should immediately comply with directions issued by US forces operating in the Strait in the interests of maintaining peace and security. Rubio also underscored that violations of the blockade and the illicit transport of Iranian oil would not be tolerated, Pigott said in Washington.
The United States has maintained a naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz since 13 April as part of efforts to prevent Iran from benefiting from oil exports.
Three vessels carrying Indian crew members came under attack off the Oman coast this week. One of the incidents resulted in the deaths of three Indian seafarers on 10 June.
Jaishankar subsequently spoke to Rubio to protest what he described as a US military strike on a merchant vessel in the Gulf of Oman that killed Indian nationals. “Such lethal actions against commercial shipping are not justified,” Jaishankar said in a post on X after the conversation.
Earlier on Friday, India summoned US charge d’affaires Jason Meeks and conveyed that American military strikes on commercial vessels carrying Indian crew members off the coast of Oman were unacceptable.
Hours later, Trump accused Iran of launching drone attacks against Indian ships leaving the Strait of Hormuz, describing the alleged actions as “totally unacceptable”, a charge which Iran strongly denied.
With PTI inputs
