US Strike on MT Settebello Killed Three Indian Seafarers in Gulf of Oman
Central Command said the vessel ignored orders to stop while carrying Iranian oil. India’s foreign ministry lodged a protest and the Forward Seamen’s Union disputed the account.
rediff.comUS Central Command reported that an aircraft fired precision munitions into the engine room of MT Settebello, killing three Indian seafarers in the Gulf of Oman. The command stated the crew had failed to comply with orders to stop and accused the vessel of violating an ongoing blockade by attempting to transport oil from Iran.
Manoj Yadav, general secretary of the Forward Seamen’s Union of India, disputed that account.
He said thermal imagery released by Centcom showed no disturbed water or visible wake, indicating the vessel was drifting rather than moving under power. ” Yadav noted the engine room sat directly beneath the crew accommodation area.
“If even a small tank had exploded inside the engine room, it would have been enough to destroy the entire accommodation,” he said. He added that the crew would have had no reason to ignore repeated military warnings. MT Settebello was the third vessel crewed by Indian sailors attacked by US forces this month, following MT Marivex and MT Jalveer.
A fourth Indian seafarer, Nishanth Uirthanathan, 35, died from medical complications reportedly worsened by a delay in evacuation from MT Celestial, a tanker docked at an Oman port. India’s foreign ministry condemned the attack on the commercial vessel and lodged a strong protest with the US deputy chief of mission in Delhi.
” Rahul Gandhi, leader of the opposition Congress party, criticised the Indian government’s response.
“Foreign powers kill our citizens. Our government quietly obeys orders like an obedient servant and our citizens are left to rot,” he said. Yadav said the union has demanded compensation for the four deaths and is considering legal action, including referral to the United Nations.
