India, June 13 -- India has strongly raised concerns with the United States over recent attacks on commercial vessels in the Gulf that resulted in the deaths of three Indian seafarers. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar spoke with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and reiterated New Delhi's strong protest against the strikes.

In a statement, Jaishankar said that "lethal actions against commercial shipping are not justified" and stressed the need to ensure the safety of civilian maritime traffic. The conversation came after India formally protested attacks by US naval forces on merchant vessels carrying Indian crew members in the Gulf region.

The diplomatic intervention follows a series of incidents off the coast of Oman involving f...