India has strongly condemned a US military attack on a tanker in the Gulf of Oman, which left three Indian crew members missing and 21 others rescued. The incident occurred late Tuesday when US forces disabled the Palau-flagged vessel Settebello, according to US Central Command.
US Military Action
A US aircraft fired precision munitions into the ship's engine room after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions from American forces. The US military stated that the vessel had violated the US blockade of Iranian ports by attempting to transport oil from Iran.
India's Response
India's foreign ministry announced the three missing sailors and condemned the attack. Indian sources told Reuters that New Delhi lodged a "strong protest" with US Deputy Chief of Mission Jason Meeks. The Indian embassy is closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with Omani authorities in the ongoing search and rescue operation.
Maritime Reports
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported an engine room fire on the chemical and oil products tanker about 20 nautical miles northeast of Sohar in northern Oman. British maritime security firm Ambrey assessed the incident was likely the result of US operations to blockade Iranian ports. Another maritime security source said the vessel was likely hit by a US missile. Maritime risk management group Vanguard said the Omani navy responded to the vessel's distress call.
Background of Blockade
The United States began a blockade of Iran-related shipping on April 13 after Iran severely curtailed shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a major global oil and gas route. US Central Command said as of June 8, US forces had disabled seven non-compliant vessels, redirected 134 others which complied, and allowed 42 vessels supporting humanitarian aid to pass.
Previous Incidents
On Monday, US forces disabled the unladen Marivex oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman after it attempted to sail to an Iranian port in violation of the ongoing blockade. Ships being targeted include Iranian vessels as well as so-called shadow fleet tankers, which are typically older vessels without Western insurance used to transport sanctioned oil and sailing under various flags to obscure their true ownership, cargo, and movements.
Separate Incident off Yemen
In a separate incident off the coast of Yemen, a cargo vessel reported being approached by a small craft carrying six armed individuals about 88 nautical miles southwest of Balhaf. UKMTO said an exchange of fire took place between the vessel's armed security team and the small craft, which later turned away.
