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    EYE ON INDIA                                                             JUNE 19, 2026     |  The Indian Eye                    8

                     Strait of Hormuz Crisis Poses

                           New Test for India-US Ties

                             The deaths of Indian seafarers and repeated attacks on commercial vessels in

                 the Gulf of Oman are turning one of the world’s most important shipping lanes into a dangerous

                                              flashpoint with implications for India-US relations.

            OUR BUREAU                                                                                            ating in the Gulf region.
                                                                                                                      Thousands of Indian seafarers
            Muscat / New Delhi
                                                                                                                  work on ships passing through the
                  he escalating confrontation                                                                     Strait of Hormuz, making the secu-
                  around the Strait of Hormuz                                                                     rity of these waters a direct national
            Tis emerging as a major chal-                                                                         concern.
            lenge not only for global shipping but                                                                    The Indian government has
            also for India’s relationship with the                                                                therefore  focused  its  diplomatic  re-
            United States. As military operations                                                                 sponse on principles rather than
            linked to the US-led blockade of Ira-                                                                 assigning blame. New Delhi has re-
            nian  oil  intensify,  Indian  seafarers                                                              peatedly called for de-escalation,
            are  increasingly  finding  themselves                                                                protection of commercial shipping
            caught in the middle of a geopolitical                                                                and restoration of safe navigation.
            conflict that New Delhi has little con-                                                                   Jaiswal   reiterated   India’s
            trol over but significant stakes in.                                                                  long-standing position that “dialogue
                The latest incidents have high-                                                                   and diplomacy is the way forward for
            lighted the growing dangers facing                                                                    peaceful  resolution  of  the  conflict”
            commercial shipping in the Gulf of                                                                    and emphasised that there should
            Oman and the Strait of Hormuz, a                                                                      be “unimpeded access through the
            strategic  maritime corridor  through                                                                 Strait of Hormuz in keeping with in-
            which a substantial  portion  of  the                                                                 ternational law.”
            world’s energy supplies pass.                                                                             The government has also warned
                India  confirmed  on  Thursday                                                                    that attacks on commercial ves-
            that three Indian seafarers had died                                                                  sels are a direct consequence of the
            following an attack on the vessel MT                                                                  broader regional conflict.
            Settebello. The Ministry of External   A visual of the commercial vessel MT Jalveer, with Indian seafarers reportedly on board,    Political voices in India have
            Affairs (MEA) said the identification   attacked off the coast of Oman near the Shinas Port, on Thursday. Casualties feared and   also reacted strongly. AIMIM chief
            process had been completed and ef-                                                                    Asaduddin Owaisi condemned the
            forts were underway to bring their       further details awaited (Forward Seamen’s Union of India/ANI Video Grab)  attacks following the deaths of the
            mortal remains back to India.                                                                         three Indian sailors and criticised US
                The deaths came amid a series  been disabled.                   concerns regarding the safety of Indi-  actions in the region.
            of military actions by US forces en-  For India, the incidents have  an citizens working on international   “Just  think  about  how  many  of
            forcing a blockade against Iranian oil  raised concerns that ordinary com-  commercial vessels.       our people are dying. They are at-
            shipments. According to US Central  mercial sailors are paying the price   Jaiswal  said  India  had  made  its  tacking our ships. Doesn’t CENT-
            Command (CENTCOM), American  for a conflict that is rapidly spreading  position clear to the American side.  COM  know  how  many  vessels  are
            forces have disabled multiple com-  beyond military targets.            “When this particular attack  operating there?” he asked.
            mercial vessels in recent days for al-  MEA spokesperson Randhir  happened on the ship Settebello,        For India, the crisis presents twin
            legedly violating the blockade.   Jaiswal acknowledged that the attacks  we lodged a strong protest with the  challenges. The first is protecting its
                The dangers were further un-  were carried out by US forces operat-  American side, we called in the Amer-  large seafaring community operating
            derlined on June 11 when the Guin-  ing in the region. While noting that the  ican Charge d’Affaires,” he said.  in the region. The second is maintain-
            ea-Bissau-flagged tanker MT Jalveer,  ships  involved  were  foreign-flagged   “We conveyed that the welfare of  ing strong relations with the United
            carrying  20  Indian  seafarers,  was  vessels, he stressed that the wel-  our seafaring community is very im-  States while simultaneously defend-
            struck in the Gulf of Oman. CENT-  fare of Indian seafarers remained  portant, and the attacks that are hap-  ing the principle of free and unim-
            COM said the vessel was attempting  a matter of paramount concern.  pening must stop,” he added.      peded navigation.
            to transport Iranian oil and failed to   The  issue  has  quickly  evolved   India’s  response  reflects  a  diffi-  As military operations continue
            comply with repeated instructions  into a diplomatic challenge between  cult balancing act. The United States  and commercial vessels remain ex-
            from US forces.                   New Delhi and Washington.         remains one of India’s most import-  posed to potential attacks, the Strait
                The  attack  on  MT  Jalveer      Following the attack on MT  ant strategic partners, particularly in  of Hormuz is increasingly becoming
            marked the third commercial vessel  Settebello, India lodged a strong pro-  areas such as defence cooperation,  not just a geopolitical flashpoint but
            targeted by US forces in the Gulf  test with the United States and sum-  technology and Indo-Pacific security.  also a test of how India balances its
            of Oman within a single week. Ear-  moned  US  Charge  d’Affaires  Jason  At the same time, India has a large  strategic partnerships with its respon-
            lier,  the  Palau-flagged  vessels  MT  Meeks. Additional Secretary (Amer-  maritime workforce employed on in-  sibility to protect its citizens and eco-
            Marivex and MT Settebello had also  icas) Nagaraj Naidu conveyed India’s  ternational commercial vessels oper-  nomic interests.

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