US jet disables tanker off Oman, three Indian crew missing; New Delhi protests
The US military fired on the engine room of a Palau-flagged tanker near Oman, leaving 24 Indian crew members in distress. India summoned the US envoy after the strike, the eighth such action since Washington blockaded Iranian ports.
The strike
On Wednesday, a US fighter jet struck the engine room of the Palau-flagged tanker Settebello, which CENTCOM said was trying to export Iranian oil in violation of the US blockade. The attack occurred about 20 nautical miles northeast of Sohar, Oman, and triggered a fire on board.
The crew refused to obey the orders of the American forces.
All 24 crew members were Indian nationals; 21 were rescued, while three remain missing. UKMTO reported that the tanker signalled a fire and requested assistance for evacuation.
Rescue and diplomatic fallout
India’s foreign ministry condemned the strike and announced that its embassy in Oman was coordinating search efforts with Omani authorities. “We condemn the attack against the merchant vessel Settebello off the coast of Oman, which occurred earlier today,” the ministry said. New Delhi summoned the US chargé d’affaires to register a strong protest.
Our embassy in Oman is closely monitoring the situation and proactively coordinating with Omani authorities on the ongoing search and rescue operation.
The missing crew members are the focus of an active search.
Strategic tinderbox
The incident takes place in one of the world’s most critical maritime corridors. The Strait of Hormuz handles roughly one-fifth of global oil and gas shipments, but traffic has been severely disrupted since late February. Following the US-Israeli offensive against Iran that started on 28 February, Tehran tightened its grip on the strait. In response, Washington imposed a blockade on Iranian ports in April, detaining dozens of ships.
- Israel-US offensive against Iran begins
- US warplane strikes tanker Settebello off Oman; three crew missing
- US launches additional self-defence strikes on targets in Iran
Eighth ship neutralised
The Pentagon said this was the eighth vessel disabled since the blockade began. According to US military data, in addition to the neutralised ships, 134 vessels have been deemed compliant and 42 carrying humanitarian aid have been allowed to pass. CENTCOM described the strike as an act of self-defence to enforce sanctions.
- Neutralised
- 8 ships
- Compliant
- 134 ships
- Humanitarian aid
- 42 ships
The latest action coincided with broader American strikes inside Iran, with CENTCOM announcing additional self-defence strikes on multiple targets on Wednesday, just hours after a nine-week ceasefire collapsed.
