New Delhi: Iran on Saturday sharply criticised the United States over attacks on Indian-linked commercial vessels in the Gulf region, accusing Washington of endangering maritime security and causing the deaths of Indian sailors.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described the alleged attacks as evidence of America’s policy of “armed robbery and State piracy” and urged the international community to hold Washington accountable.
“The brutal U.S. attacks on Indian commercial vessels which have killed at least three Indian nationals stand as clear evidence of America’s ongoing policy of armed robbery and State piracy,” Araghchi said, expressing condolences to the families of the victims and to the people and government of India.
The remarks came after US President Donald Trump accused Iran of attempting a drone strike on Indian vessels departing the Strait of Hormuz. In a post on Truth Social, Trump claimed Iran had launched a “totally rebuffed” drone attack against Indian ships and termed the alleged action “totally unacceptable”.
Rejecting the accusation, the Iranian Embassy in India called Trump’s claims “pathetic” and “baseless”. In a statement posted on social media, the embassy alleged that the accusations were aimed at diverting attention from attacks allegedly carried out by the United States on Indian vessels.
The embassy further claimed that three Indian-linked ships had come under attack within a week and that three Indian sailors had lost their lives in the incidents.
Trump also questioned Iran’s intentions regarding a proposed US-Iran agreement aimed at ending the ongoing conflict, saying Tehran’s version of the proposal “bears no relation to the truth”. He accused Iran of acting in bad faith and warned that the country needed to “get its act together”.
Meanwhile, India has lodged a strong diplomatic protest with the United States following a reported US Navy strike on the Palau-flagged oil tanker MT Settebello in the Gulf of Oman, which killed three Indian crew members.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said he had raised the matter directly with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“Such lethal actions against commercial shipping are not justified,” Jaishankar said.
The tanker was carrying a crew of 28, including 24 Indians. Twenty-one Indian sailors were rescued after the incident, while the three deceased crew members were identified as deck cadet Aditya Sharma, engine fitter Shivanand Chaurasiya and chief engineer Patnala Suresh.
The developments have added a fresh dimension to tensions in the Gulf region, with concerns mounting over the safety of commercial shipping routes and the potential impact on global maritime trade.
