External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday spoke with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller informed on Thursday, adding that the two leaders discussed the recent attacks on merchant ships by the Yemen-backed Houthi groups in the Red Sea. The two leaders also reaffirmed their maritime cooperation in the region, the State Department spokesperson informed.

"The Secretary and External Affairs Minister discussed the United States and India's shared concerns over reckless Houthi attacks in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, which threaten the free flow of commerce, endanger innocent mariners, and violate international law," Miller said. During their telephonic conversation, the US Secretary of State emphasised that the Red Sea is a major commercial corridor that facilitates international trade and welcomed increased cooperation with India in defending freedom of navigation in the region.