India confirms that three Indian sailors die following a U.S. military strike on the Palau-flagged oil tanker MT Settebello off the coast of Oman. India’s shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal says the three seafarers who were initially reported missing are later found and identified. Reports cite U.S. Central Command as describing a “precision” strike while the vessel transits the Gulf of Oman, alleging the tanker was carrying Iranian oil and that crew members did not comply with instructions from U.S. forces. The incident is described as occurring after another reported U.S. attack on a merchant vessel with a predominantly Indian crew earlier in the same week.
India responds by lodging a “strong protest” with Washington, including summoning a senior U.S. diplomat in New Delhi, and demands accountability and an end to what it frames as repeated attacks on ships. France 24 and other outlets also note that this strike is part of broader U.S. efforts related to Iran-linked shipping, which India says have included multiple incidents in recent months. Al Jazeera separately reports a different incident involving Indian nationals where all onboard are said to be safe.
