US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said violations of the American blockade and the illicit transport of Iranian oil through the Strait of Hormuz will not be tolerated.Rubio conveyed the message during a conversation with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday. The call came after Jaishankar lodged a strong protest over the deaths of three Indian seafarers in US attacks on commercial vessels off the coast of Oman.“The Secretary stressed that all commercial vessels should immediately comply with orders from US forces as they seek to uphold peace and security in the Strait,” US State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said.Rubio also underscored that any violation of the US blockade and the unlawful transport of Iranian oil would not be tolerated, Pigott added. Three vessels carrying Indian crew members came under attack off the Oman coast this week. One of the incidents resulted in the deaths of three Indian seafarers on Wednesday.During his talks with Rubio, Jaishankar asserted that the use of lethal force against civilian shipping was unjustified.“Such lethal actions against commercial shipping are not justified,” Jaishankar said in a post on X after the conversation.He reiterated New Delhi’s concerns over the attacks, which have heightened tensions and raised concerns about the safety of Indian seafarers operating in the region.The minister’s intervention came hours after India summoned US Chargé d’Affaires Jason Meeks and lodged a formal protest over the continuing attacks on merchant vessels carrying Indian crew members in the Gulf of Oman.The Ministry of External Affairs had earlier described the deaths of the three Indian sailors as “tragic and avoidable” and expressed deep concern over the use of deadly force against civilian shipping, warning that such actions undermine the safety and stability of international maritime commerce.Friday’s conversation between Jaishankar and Rubio marks the highest-level diplomatic engagement so far on the issue and underscores the seriousness with which New Delhi views the attacks.