U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. File
| Photo Credit: AP
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that any violation of the American blockade and illicit transport of Iranian oil through the Strait of Hormuz will not be tolerated. The statement came following his discussion on “recent events” in the critical strait with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Friday (June 12, 2026),
West Asia war LIVE updates – June 13, 2026
“The Secretary stressed that all commercial vessels should immediately comply with orders from U.S. forces as they seek to uphold peace and security in the Strait,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in an official statement said on Saturday (June 13, 2026).
In his talk with Mr. Rubio, EAM Jaishankar lodged strong protest against the death of Indian nationals in U.S. attacks on ships off the coast of Oman. “Such lethal actions against commercial shipping are not justified,” Mr. Jaishankar said in a post on X after the conversation.
MV Jalveer and MT Sentebello were attacked in the region earlier this week. One of the attacks resulted in the death of three Indian seafarers on Wednesday (June 10, 2026).
On Saturday (June 13, 2026), India denied reports that a fourth vessel, MT Liaki Freedom, was attacked near Oman on Friday (June 12, 2026) night. Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, said that the Ministry had contacted the Marshall Islands-flagged vessel and confirmed that all crew members were safe.
Published – June 13, 2026 07:55 pm IST
