After an American strike kills three Indian sailors, Prime Minister Modi explores a European alliance to secure the Strait of Hormuz.
NEW DELHI, June 12 — US naval forces have fired on a third commercial vessel near the Strait of Hormuz within four days. The sudden barrage of American munitions killed three Indian sailors. It dragged New Delhi directly into a volatile maritime conflict. We aren’t just observing a blockade anymore; we’re counting casualties.
The MV Jalveer took American fire near Oman on Thursday. The Guinea-Bissau flagged asphalt tanker is the third civilian ship targeted by the US military in a rapidly escalating campaign. This follows the fatal American strike on the Palau-flagged MT Settebello. That earlier attack left three Indian crewmen dead and 21 others scrambling for survival in the dark waters of the Gulf of Oman. They couldn’t outrun the munitions.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs didn’t mince words. Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed the US Navy executed the strikes and demanded an immediate end to the violence. Indian officials haven’t just issued a sanitised press release. They summoned US Charge d’Affaires Jason Meeks to South Block to deliver a furious formal demarche. Jaiswal publicly stated the attacks must cease, labelling the targeting of commercial shipping deeply worrisome.
But diplomatic protests won’t stop the missiles.
How long can Prime Minister Narendra Modi balance strategic ties with Washington while American operations kill Indian citizens? Sources indicate Modi’s government isn’t relying on American goodwill to resolve the crisis. They’re evaluating a concrete military response alongside European allies. New Delhi needs to secure its merchant fleets before more sailors die.
French diplomatic sources confirmed Paris invited India to join a new maritime security initiative. They want to secure the Strait of Hormuz. The vital chokepoint handles nearly a fifth of the world’s energy supplies. Modi discussed the strategy directly with French President Emmanuel Macron during the recent G7 talks. It’s a calculated pivot to protect shipping lanes without bowing to Washington’s aggressive blockade tactics.
US Central Command claims they’ve got valid military objectives for the attacks. They said the MT Settebello tried to run a naval blockade to transport Iranian oil. American forces hit the vessel’s engine room with precision munitions. Military officials stated they warned the crew before opening fire. And they’ve disabled eight merchant ships since the blockade began, escalating the economic squeeze on Tehran.
American actions stem from a broader geopolitical standoff with Iran. US President Donald Trump recently announced the cancellation of direct bombings against Iranian territory following high-level discussions. Trump stated the naval blockade will remain in full force until all parties finalise a new agreement. He listed multiple nations involved in the talks. But they haven’t stopped the violence. The military hardware remains highly active in the Gulf.
Iran hasn’t backed down entirely. The country’s top joint military command declared the Strait of Hormuz closed to all vessels. The US military insists commercial ships still transit the area safely. Iranian media reported explosions in southern cities like Bandar Abbas and the island of Qeshm earlier in the week. The crossfire traps foreign crews between an American blockade and an Iranian retaliation.
Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal officially confirmed the deaths of the three missing Indian sailors on Thursday. Oman’s maritime agencies helped rescue the surviving 21 crew members. The MT Settebello carried an all-Indian crew. The Indian government maintains US authorities hadn’t sanctioned or blacklisted the vessel prior to the strike. So Washington’s decision to fire on the ship raises serious legal and ethical questions.
The crisis exposes a severe vulnerability for global trade. India provides a massive share of the world’s merchant mariners. If Modi doesn’t deploy naval assets or forge new alliances to protect them, the international shipping industry’s backbone could fracture. Indian seafarers won’t sail into a kill zone without state protection.
New Delhi faces a defining test of its geopolitical muscle. Modi can’t allow foreign powers to treat Indian civilian casualties as acceptable collateral damage. The government must choose between confronting a key strategic partner or failing its own citizens. Three Indian families are already burying their sons because of an American bomb.
