The U.S. military says it disables a Palau-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman after the vessel allegedly violates an ongoing U.S. naval blockade. The U.S. Central Command states the tanker attempted to transport oil from Iran, and that U.S. forces used precision action to disable it. Multiple reports say the initial incident led to concerns about the crew. India’s shipping minister later confirms that three Indian seafarers linked to the tanker were killed, after earlier reports described them as missing.
Indian officials and media also raise concerns about the operation and its impact on the crew. The U.S. characterizes the action as part of enforcement related to the blockade, and says the ship was disabled following the alleged attempt to move oil from Iran.
Both accounts center on the same sequence of events: the alleged blockade violation, the U.S. decision to disable the vessel, and the subsequent confirmation from India regarding the fate of three Indian crew members.
