Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to raise the issue of the deaths of three Indian seafarers in American strikes on commercial vessels when he meets US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France.
Prime Minister Modi and Trump are scheduled to hold talks during the G7 gathering on Wednesday. The meeting will mark their first face-to-face interaction since their Washington meeting in February last year and comes amid growing concerns in India over the deaths of Indian mariners aboard ships targeted by US forces in the Strait of Hormuz.
Responding to questions from reporters, Priyanka said the matter should certainly be discussed. “Yes, I think he should definitely raise it,” she said, adding that it was surprising that India had not spoken more strongly about the developments. The Congress general secretary questioned the government’s response to the incident.
The Modi-Trump meeting will also be their first in-person engagement since bilateral ties faced strains following Operation Sindoor and Washington’s decision to impose steep tariffs on Indian goods. Despite these tensions, the two leaders have remained in contact through telephone conversations and had earlier agreed on a framework for an interim trade agreement, negotiations for which are currently underway.
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Priyanka Gandhi’s remarks came after the United States reiterated to India that violations of its blockade in the Strait of Hormuz and the transport of Iranian oil would not be tolerated. The message was conveyed after External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar spoke with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio last week to register India’s strong protest over the deaths of Indian nationals in attacks on vessels near Oman.
According to US State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott, Rubio emphasised that all commercial vessels operating in the region should immediately comply with instructions issued by American forces tasked with maintaining security in the Strait. He also underscored Washington’s position that breaches of the blockade and illicit transportation of Iranian oil would invite action.
Three ships carrying Indian crew members came under attack off the coast of Oman last week, with one of the incidents resulting in the deaths of three Indian seafarers. Following the tragedy, Jaishankar held discussions with Rubio and lodged a formal protest over the loss of Indian lives in the US military strike on a merchant vessel in the Gulf of Oman.
India had earlier summoned US Charge d’Affaires Jason Meeks in New Delhi and conveyed that the targeting of commercial vessels carrying Indian crew members by American forces off the Omani coast was unacceptable. The government also called for an end to attacks on civilian shipping and stressed the need for diplomacy and dialogue to address the crisis.
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