India summons US deputy envoy over strikes on commercial ship
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- New Delhi says attacks on merchant vessels are unacceptable
- Government warns strikes threaten maritime trade and stability
- India urges Washington to prevent civilian casualties at sea
In a major diplomatic rift between the two global partners, India’s Ministry of External Affairs launched a sharp, formal protest against the United States on Friday, explicitly condemning recent US military strikes that targeted commercial shipping vessels.
New Delhi took the rare step of summoning the US Deputy Chief of Mission to the foreign ministry headquarters to deliver a direct reprimand.
Indian officials told the top American diplomat that the targeting of merchant ships by US forces is fundamentally "unacceptable" and poses a severe threat to international commerce.
Threatening stability of global trade
The diplomatic confrontation follows growing frustration in New Delhi regarding Western military operations in strategic shipping corridors, which have increasingly bled into commercial shipping lanes.
India, which relies heavily on unhindered maritime passages for its massive energy imports and export economy, warned that these aggressive military interventions are causing dangerous destabilization.
"The attacks by US forces on commercial vessels directly undermine the safety, security, and stability of international maritime trade," India’s Ministry of External Affairs stated in a stern briefing following the meeting.
The foreign ministry emphasized that the ocean corridors must remain neutral zones for merchant shipping, warning that the current trajectory of military engagements risks choking vital global supply chains.
Demands to prevent loss of civilian life
Beyond the immediate economic disruptions, New Delhi expressed grave concern for the safety of civilian mariners, many of whom are Indian nationals working aboard international cargo carriers and oil tankers.
During the tense meeting, Indian diplomats firmly requested that the US Deputy Chief of Mission convey an urgent message back to Washington: the United States military must immediately guarantee the implementation of stringent measures to safeguard merchant operations and prevent any future civilian casualties.
The U.S. Embassy in New Delhi has not yet issued a formal response detailing the specific operational parameters that led to the targeted vessels being engaged.
