US strikes tankers off Oman kill three Indian sailors amid US-Iran blockade tensions

New Delhi Furious After Tanker Strike Off Oman Leaves Three Indians Dead, Summons US Envoy

New Delhi Furious After Tanker Strike Off Oman Leaves Three Indians Dead, Summons US Envoy In a development that's unprecedented or at least extremely rare, India on Wednesday summoned a US diplomat in the capital of New Delhi over what it blasted as an illegal "attack" on a vessel off Oman this week. Jason Meeks, charge d'affaires of the US Embassy in New Delhi, was formally summoned by the Indian government to protest the US military attack on the Palau-flagged Settebello.  There had been 24 Indian crewmen on board - but 21 were rescued. Later, the three missing crewmembers were confirmed dead. CENTCOM posted footage of strike action on the ship's engine room. US CENTCOM by Thursday had confirmed: "Earlier this week, U.S. aircraft disabled Palau-flagged vessels M/T Marivex and M/T Settebello on Monday and Tuesday, respectively. Marivex violated the blockade by attempting to sail to an Iranian port and Settebello attempted to transport Iranian oil." The attack which killed three Indian sailors occurred off the coast of Oman, and the killing of the Indian nationals has made global headlines. Many thousands of Indian sailors are currently stranded in the Gulf region, and so the situation remains highly dangerous for them and other international crew. According to the BBC: Rajesh Sharma, father of Aditya Sharma, a cadet on board the Settebello who died in the strike, told the BBC that the family was waiting for his body to be returned to them. He said his son was due to return home in May, but his duty got extended. He added that he had last spoken to his son on Sunday. He questioned why the captain of the tanker chose to go near the Strait of Hormuz and called for an inquiry. "Who is responsible for the deaths [of the three Indian sailors]? The circumstances that led to the deaths must be investigated," he said. The Pentagon's favored tactic has been to fire hellfire missiles into a tanker's engine room when it fails to comply with warnings not to continue on its course.  Both sides are imposing their own rival blockades on the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping waterway, and so there's a double danger and risk posted to international crew members. A profound strategic rift is exploding between the US and India. In its aggressive bid to enforce the Iranian oil blockade, US forces have struck a third Indian-manned tanker in 4 days—and New Delhi has just confirmed 3 Indian sailors are dead. 🧵🇺🇸🇮🇳🇮🇷 👇 pic.twitter.com/6vXDtDcH5g — Francesco Sassi (@Frank_Stones) June 11, 2026 At its narrowest point, the strait is about 18 miles wide, making commercial vessels extraordinarily vulnerable to suicide drones, missiles, mines, and small boats. But then they have to face down the US Navy if they 'illicitly' visited an Iranian port, or are inbound from the other direction. Tyler Durden Thu, 06/11/2026 - 14:00

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US attack kills three Indian sailors in Gulf of Oman

US attack kills three Indian sailors in Gulf of Oman Submitted by MEE staff on Thu, 06/11/2026 - 12:28 India summons deputy head of US mission in Delhi after third vessel this week comes under American attack A screengrab of footage released by US Central Command shows the moment the Palau-flagged MT Settebello was struck by US forces in the Gulf of Oman on 10 June 2026 (Screengrab/Centcom) Off Three Indian sailors have been killed after the US military struck a tanker in the Gulf of Oman, a federal minister said on Thursday.  The Palau-flagged MT Settebello vessel came under attack late on Tuesday after the US accused it of not complying “with directions from American forces”.  The tanker had 24 Indian crew members on board, of whom 21 were rescued. The US has targeted several vessels off the coast of Oman this week. Crews were evacuated from two other ships after they were hit by projectiles. “Sadly, three Indian seafarers initially reported missing are now confirmed dead after bodies have been located and identified,” said Sarbananda Sonowal, India’s shipping minister.  “This is a profound loss to our maritime family. The Modi Govt stands firmly with the bereaved during this difficult hour and is fully committed to supporting the next of kin. “I have directed officials to ensure immediate repatriation of the rescued crew members and swift return of the mortal remains of the deceased for their final rites.” After the attack, the Indian government summoned the deputy head of Washington’s mission in Delhi.  The US military accused the tanker of violating its blockade on Iran’s ports and attempting “to transport oil from Iran”.  “U.S. forces disabled an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman for the second consecutive day after another vessel violated the ongoing blockade by attempting to transport oil from Iran,” US Centcom wrote on X.  Trump threatens to ‘blow up’ Oman despite centuries of US ties Read More » “[We] disabled Palau-flagged M/T Settebello as it transited the Gulf of Oman. A U.S. aircraft fired precision munitions into the ship’s engine room after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions from American forces.”  It is the third such attack in a few days.  On Monday, the US military hit another Palau-flagged tanker with Indian crew members, The Marivex, in the Gulf of Oman. Centcom also accused it of failing to comply with American instructions.  All 24 crew members of that vessel were rescued by Oman’s military, according to Indian authorities.  And India's shipping ministry said all 20 Indian crew members were safe after a new suspected US strike on the asphalt tanker Jalveer off Oman on Thursday “We have learnt of an incident involving a vessel off Shinas port of Oman, earlier today. We are closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with the local authorities for further details,” the embassy said on X.  “Evacuation of crew from MT Jalveer to Shinas port is being coordinated with assistance from Royal Navy of Oman, and shall soon be completed.”  Further details of the incident were not made available. US and Iran trade blows  Since the war began in late February, Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz - the crucial waterway through which a fifth of the world’s crude oil and a fifth of the world’s liquefied natural gas passes.  In response, the US has imposed a blockade on Iran’s ports.  Centcom said on Wednesday that it had “disabled eight non-compliant vessels, redirected 134 ships that complied, and allowed 42 vessels supporting humanitarian aid to pass since initiating the blockade on April 13.” It comes as the US and Iran continued to exchange strikes overnight and into Thursday.  The renewed hostilities followed the downing of an American helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week, after which Washington launched strikes on Iranian military infrastructure. Iranian media reported explosions in several areas, including Bandar Abbas, Qeshm and Minab, near the Strait of Hormuz. Reports also cited strikes in Karaj, Nazarabad and Pishva, near Tehran. Iranian media said at least three people were wounded in Tehran province. The attacks came after US President Donald Trump accused Tehran of prolonging negotiations to end the three-month war. Speaking on Wednesday, Trump said Iran had been “playing us for suckers” and would “have to pay the price”. Iran’s foreign ministry condemned the US strikes on Thursday, saying they rendered the nearly two-month ceasefire “practically meaningless”.  It said Washington bore responsibility for what it called the “extremely serious consequences” of the attacks. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it retaliated by striking US-linked military targets in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan.  War on Iran News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

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