Three Indian sailors have been killed in strikes on at least three commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz this week, as the US regime intensifies its naval blockade of Iranian ports.

The Indian government on Wednesday summoned a senior US diplomat in New Delhi to demand an explanation after the US military hit a Palau-flagged ship off Oman’s coast, killing the three Indian sailors. Hours earlier, the US had also bombed another Palau-flagged vessel with 24 Indian sailors on board.

On Thursday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces had “disabled” a third tanker in the Gulf of Oman after the vessel allegedly violated the blockade against Iran by attempting to transport Iranian oil.

By Friday morning, US President Donald Trump and Iranian officials were both speaking optimistically of the prospect of an agreement to extend the fragile ceasefire. But for thousands of seafarers stranded on either side of the Strait of Hormuz, peace remains elusive.

The attacks on ships with Indian sailors are the latest friction point in the relationship between Washington and New Delhi, which has reached new lows during Trump’s second term. Trump is expected to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi next week at the G7 summit in France.

Source: www.aljazeera.com