India summons top US diplomat for second time to protest strikes on ships off Oman

India summoned the U.S. deputy chief of mission in Delhi on Friday to protest against U.S. military strikes on commercial vessels off the coast of Oman, an Indian source said, the second time in three days New Delhi has expressed its displeasure.

U.S. deputy chief of mission to the country, Jason Meeks, was summoned by India for the first time on Wednesday following a U.S. navy attack that killed three Indian sailors on Palau-flagged oil products tanker Settebello.

On Thursday, another 20-Indian crewed ship was attacked, with no deaths or injuries reported.

"MEA summoned Meeks to lodge a protest against attacks on commercial vessels off the Coast of Oman," the Indian source said, referring to the Ministry of External Affairs as the Indian foreign ministry is officially called.

"Yesterday, yet another vessel with 20 Indian crew on board came under attack," the source added.

The U.S. Embassy in New Delhi did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

New Delhi and Washington have developed a close, strategic partnership over the last two decades and India summoning a U.S. diplomat to lodge a protest is rare.

The strong ties between the two countries have come under pressure during President Donald Trump's second term, battered by Washington's tariffs and engagement with New Delhi's rivals Pakistan and China.

The killing of Indian sailors comes days before a likely meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Trump on the sidelines of the Group of 7 summit in France.

(Reporting by YP Rajesh and Saurabh Sharma, writing by Tanvi Mehta and Aftab Ahmed)