Three Indian sailors killed after US strike on Palau-flagged tanker off Oman

US strike on Settebello

On Wednesday, US Central Command said an American warplane fired on the Palau-flagged oil tanker MT Settebello in the Gulf of Oman. The strike targeted the engine room after the crew "repeatedly failed to comply" with orders, Centcom stated. The vessel was accused of trying to transport Iranian oil in violation of a US naval blockade. 24 Indian nationals were on board; three were initially reported missing and their deaths were confirmed on Thursday. Twenty-one other crew members were rescued, though details of the rescue were not immediately provided.

Indian reaction

India's Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal called the incident "deeply unfortunate" and a "tragic" loss.

“Sadly, three Indian seafarers initially reported missing are now confirmed dead after bodies have been located and identified.”

New Delhi summoned the US chargé d'affaires on Wednesday evening and conveyed a strong protest. Manoj Yadav of the Forward Seamen's Union of India said he "refused to believe" Washington lacked information about the crew's nationality, adding that detaining the ship was a "viable alternative".

Earlier attack on Marivex

This was the second US strike on a commercial vessel with Indian crew this week. On Monday, US forces hit the Palau-flagged Marivex in the Gulf of Oman after it too allegedly failed to comply with American instructions. The Omani military helicoptered all 24 Indian crew members to safety, Indian authorities said. US Central Command confirmed that operation.

Broader blockade and fragile ceasefire

American forces have now neutralized at least eight vessels since imposing a blockade on Iranian ports, part of a conflict that escalated in late February involving the United States, Israel and Iran. Nearly a fifth of the world's oil and gas shipments pass through the Strait of Hormuz, where maritime traffic has been largely paralyzed by the hostilities. On the same day as the Settebello strike, the US also conducted additional self-defense strikes against multiple targets in Iran, highlighting the fragility of a nine-week-old ceasefire.