Three Indian seafarers are lacking after Oman rescues 21 others following a US assault on the Palau-flagged Settebello.
Printed On 10 Jun 2026
India has summoned a senior US diplomat after US forces fired on a Palau-flagged vessel with 24 Indian sailors on board off the coast of Oman, leaving three Indian seafarers lacking.
India’s Ministry of International Affairs confirmed to Al Jazeera on Wednesday that it had summoned Jason Meeks, the US Embassy’s deputy chief of mission in New Delhi.
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The US navy’s Central Command (CENTCOM) mentioned it carried out a “precision” strike on a vessel, the Settebello, because it transited the Gulf of Oman transporting Iranian oil on Tuesday night, claiming the crew didn’t adjust to directions from US forces.
The ship was a chemical/oil merchandise tanker which reported an engine room hearth 20 nautical miles (about 37km) northeast of Oman’s port of Sohar, the UK Maritime Commerce Operations company mentioned.
The Omani navy responded to the Settebello misery name, British maritime danger administration group Vanguard mentioned.
Twenty-one Indian sailors have been rescued and three stay lacking, India’s International Ministry mentioned, condemning the violence and calling for an finish to assaults on industrial delivery and civilian infrastructure within the area.
“Our embassy in Oman is intently monitoring the scenario and proactively coordinating with the Omani authorities within the ongoing search and rescue operation,” the ministry mentioned in an announcement. “The focusing on of economic delivery and civilian infrastructure within the area should finish.”
Arsenio Dominguez, secretary-general of the UN’s delivery company, the Worldwide Maritime Group, on Wednesday condemned “any act from any occasion that endangers the lives of seafarers and the security of worldwide delivery”.
“That is merely unacceptable. My ideas are with the households of the three lacking seafarers and with all these awaiting information of the crew members,” he mentioned.
The incident has intensified authorized and moral questions surrounding the US naval blockade of Iran, which has negatively affected Washington’s allies. It might additionally additional injury India-US ties, which specialists say are already at their lowest level in a long time.
Stress from opposition
The Indian authorities was below mounting strain from the opposition to publicly problem the US over the strike, after it didn’t protest in opposition to a separate assault by US forces on a vessel carrying Indian sailors earlier this week.
For the reason that US-Israel struggle on Iran started on February 28, not less than two different Indian-flagged vessels have been struck. India summoned the Iranian ambassador in April in response to the assaults.
President Donald Trump ordered a naval blockade of Iran in mid-April in an try and drive Tehran to just accept his phrases for a deal to completely finish the struggle.
The blockade is believed to have considerably decreased Iran’s oil exports, although Iranian officers have proven no signal of capitulating to Washington’s calls for.
