The illusion of the Indo-US strategic partnership is currently burning in the waters of the Gulf of Oman. We spent the last decade convincing ourselves that Washington viewed New Delhi as an equal partner. We signed defense pacts, conducted joint naval exercises, and smiled for photographs at bilateral summits. That diplomatic fantasy evaporated the moment the US military decided to fire precision munitions into commercial ships manned by Indian citizens.

Between June 8 and June 11, 2026, American forces disabled three separate merchant vessels carrying Indian crew members: the MT Marivex, the MT Settebello, and the MT Jalveer. The most tragic of these incidents occurred on June 10, when an American aircraft fired precision missiles into the engine room of the Palau-flagged MT Settebello. That unilateral military action killed three Indian sailors. The deceased men were Patnala Suresh,........

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