'That's pathetic': Iran rejects Trump's claims of Tehran's involvement in the attack on an Indian vessel

Iran's mission to India on Friday rejected US President Donald Trump's allegations over the killing of three Indian sailors off the coast of Oman and an attack on three vessels carrying Indian crew in the Strait of Hormuz. The mission rejected the claims, calling Trump's accusation "simply baseless".

Iran went on to accuse Washington of trying to divert attention from the attacks on the Indian sailors. "The US president's accusation against Iran regarding an Indian vessel in the Strait of Hormuz is simply baseless. It is an attempt to divert public attention from the brutal fact that the U.S. has attacked 3 Indian vessels in less than a week and killed 3 innocent Indian sailors. That's pathetic!" Iran in India said in a post on X.

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The mission re-shared a post by Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei, condemning the attacks. "The brutal U.S. attacks on Indian commercial vessels which have killed at least three Indian nationals, stand as clear evidence of America’s ongoing policy of armed robbery and State piracy," Baqaei said in his remarks.

"We extend our sympathies to the families and friends of the slain Indian sailors and offer our sincere condolences to the Indian people and government. The international community must hold the United States accountable for its lawless conduct, which continues to threaten global peace and security while endangering the freedom of navigation," he added.

What Trump claimed

Earlier on Friday, the American leader accused Iran of carrying out a “totally rebuffed” drone attack on Indian ships leaving the Strait of Hormuz. In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump went on to refer to the strikes as "totally unacceptable".

However, he did not identify which Indian ships he was referring to. Many saw it as Trump's bid to gloss over the US attacks on three foreign-flagged vessels carrying Indian crew members off the coast of Oman on Monday and Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs summoned the US Chargé d’Affaires Jason Meeks for the second time to register its protest against the continued American strikes on ships with Indian crew members in West Asia.

In a formal statement over the matter, New Delhi said that it had “once again conveyed its deep concern over the use of lethal and deadly force against civilian shipping” and described the actions as “unacceptable” and harmful to the safety and stability of international maritime commerce.