External affairs minister S Jaishankar had a conversation with US secretary of state Anthony Blinken regarding the recent attacks on merchant ships by the Yemen-backed Houthi groups in the Red Sea. They expressed concerns about the attacks endangering mariners, disrupting commerce, and violating international law. The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to maritime cooperation. The conversation also covered topics such as safeguarding freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, the Israel-Hamas conflict, humanitarian aid to Gaza, and Russia's aggression against Ukraine.