U.S. Strike on MT Settebello Kills Three Indian Sailors in Gulf of Oman

U.S. forces struck the Palau-flagged tanker MT Settebello in the Gulf of Oman on Wednesday, killing three Indian sailors. An American aircraft fired precision munitions into the vessel's engine room after the crew failed to comply with directions, according to U.S.

Central Command. The tanker was carrying Iranian oil and had attempted to breach Washington's naval blockade of Iranian ports. Twenty-four Indian crew members were aboard the MT Settebello. Twenty-one were rescued after the strike.

India's shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal described the incident as deeply unfortunate and said the bodies of the three sailors would be brought back soon. This was the second U.S. attack this week on a merchant vessel with a predominantly Indian crew.

U.S. forces struck the Palau-flagged tanker Marivex in the same area on Monday after it failed to comply with instructions; all 24 crew members on that vessel were rescued by Omani authorities. India's foreign ministry summoned the deputy head of the U.S.

Mission in New Delhi to lodge a strong protest. The government stated that targeting of commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure in the region must end. The U.S. established the blockade after Tehran closed the Strait of Hormuz.

The broader Iran-U.S. conflict began on 28 February after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran killed the country's supreme leader. U.S. forces have disabled eight vessels and redirected 134 others since initiating the blockade on 13 April.

Manoj Yadav of the Forward Seamen's Union of India stated that detaining non-compliant ships was a viable alternative to striking them.