Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has criticised the United States for failing to express regret over the deaths of three Indian crew members killed in a strike on a commercial vessel in the Gulf region last week.
Tharoor described the US response as insensitive and questioned why non-lethal methods were not used to stop vessels suspected of violating the American blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Palau-flagged oil tanker Settebello came under attack off the coast of Oman while carrying 24 Indian and four foreign crew members. Twenty-one Indians were rescued, while three crew members died. The victims were identified as deck cadet Aditya Sharma, engine fitter Shivanand Chaurasiya, and chief engineer Patnala Suresh.
Following the incident, India lodged a diplomatic protest with Washington. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar reportedly told US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that such lethal action was "not justified".
Responding to India's concerns, the US said that violations of its blockade and the transport of Iranian oil through the Strait of Hormuz would not be tolerated.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said Rubio had stressed that all commercial vessels should comply immediately with instructions issued by US forces operating in the region.
Reacting to the US statement, Tharoor said he was "deeply shocked" that it contained no expression of regret or condolence for the loss of Indian lives.
"How can a friend and strategic partner be so deeply insensitive?" he asked.
The Congress leader also questioned whether merchant vessels could be stopped without using lethal force.
"Why couldn't a non-compliant commercial vessel have been stopped using other, non-lethal means? Is it not possible to disable a ship's propulsion or steering without firing missiles targeted to kill civilian crew members?" he said.
Tharoor further noted that Indian nationals make up a significant proportion of crews on merchant ships operating in Gulf waters and asked whether they were being placed at risk by such actions.
At least three foreign-flagged tankers carrying Indian crew members, including the Settebello, MT Marivex, and Jalveer, have reportedly come under attack in the Gulf of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz in the past week.
India has described the attacks on merchant vessels as deeply concerning and has called for an end to such incidents as tensions continue to escalate in West Asia.