India summons U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission after second ship attack in three days leaves three Indian sailors missing

📌 Summary:

• India on June 10, 2026 summoned U.S. Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Jason Meeks and lodged a "strong protest" after an attack on the commercial vessel Settebello off the Omani coast left three Indian sailors missing
• The Settebello, carrying around 24 Indian crew members, was the second such attack in three days; the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) called it "deeply worrisome" and "a direct result of the ongoing conflict in the region"
• The earlier attack, on oil tanker M/T Marivex, was claimed by U.S. Central Command, which described the tanker as "non-compliant"
• The incidents underscore the safety risk to Indian seafarers (who form a large share of the global merchant-marine workforce) amid the escalating West Asia conflict

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS2 (India's diplomatic response, protection of diaspora/citizens abroad, India-U.S. ties amid the West Asia war) and GS3 (maritime trade and seafarer safety). Tests India's balancing act in a polarised conflict.

📝 Prelims Facts:

• Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM): the second-ranking diplomat in an embassy, who acts as charge d'affaires in the ambassador's absence
• "Summoning" an envoy is a formal diplomatic instrument to register protest
• Indian nationals constitute a significant portion of crews on internationally-flagged merchant vessels

🔑 Key Term: Démarche — a formal diplomatic representation or protest made by one government to another.