Three ships with Indian crew on board were attacked, all by the United States, in the past three days near the coast of Oman. The attacks on MT Jalveer, Settebello and MT Marivex coincide with the US and Iran renewing hostilities against each other. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the attacks.
Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said the attack on the merchant ship Sitipilo on Wednesday killed three Indian sailors. “It is extremely unfortunate to learn of the tragic incident that occurred on board the Palau-flagged ship MT Settebello. Sadly, three Indian sailors who were initially reported missing have now been confirmed dead after their bodies were located and identified,” Sonowal added.
Describing the deaths as a “huge loss to our marine family”, Sonowal said the government “stands firmly with the bereaved during this difficult hour and is fully committed to supporting their relatives”.
How and why were Indian crewed ships targeted?
Smoke was detected due to a fire in the engine room of the MT Gulliver on Thursday, after which the crew was evacuated to the port of Shinas in Oman. The Indian Seafarers’ Union published photos showing thick smoke rising from the ship.
“The crew’s evacuation from Mount Gulfair to Shinas Port is being coordinated with the assistance of the Royal Navy of Oman and will be completed soon.” The Indian Embassy in Oman said in a post on X. According to sources cited by news agency ANI, there were 20 Indian sailors on board the Guinea Bissau-flagged tanker, and all of them are safe. The United States said it “disabled an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman at 11:20 p.m. EDT on June 10 after the ship violated the blockade imposed on Iran by attempting to transport Iranian oil.”
However, this was the third consecutive attack near Oman, as three sailors were killed in the attack on the Palau-flagged merchant tanker, MT Setibelo, which had a 24-member Indian crew on board. US Central Command also said on Wednesday that it “disabled” a ship because it “failed to comply” with directions provided by US forces.
The US military is imposing a naval blockade on Iranian ports after Tehran effectively blocked shipping through the Strait of Hormuz in the wake of the conflict in West Asia.
The Palau-flagged tanker MT Marifix caught fire on Monday this week after the US Navy attacked it off the coast of Oman, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. MEA spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said there was an exchange of communications between the ship’s crew and the US Navy before US forces disabled the ship. Jaiswal said that all 24 Indian crew members on board the plane were rescued safely.
How did India respond to the events?
The Indian Embassy in Oman confirmed the incident with MT Gulliver earlier on Thursday, and provided an update on the rescue operations later. Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs highlighted “several incidents involving seafarers” in West Asia over the past few days, saying New Delhi was gravely concerned about the safety of Indian seafarers.
“We attach utmost importance to the well-being of our seafarer community, and there is no need to reiterate this point,” the ministry said. The ministry added: “These attacks must stop, and we reiterate our call for dialogue and diplomacy to ensure an early return to peace and stability in the region.”
On Wednesday, the Middle East Airlines summoned the US Chargé d’Affaires and lodged a strong protest after the attack on MT Setibelo. Additional Secretary (Americas) Nagaraj Naidu conveyed India’s deep concerns, stressing that the safety and well-being of the seafaring community in the country is the top priority. The ministry also issued a statement condemning the incident and calling for an immediate halt to the escalation of tensions in West Asia.
The Middle East Airlines statement said: “The targeting of commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure in the region must end, and free and unhindered navigation and trade across international waterways in the region must be restored, in line with international law, as soon as possible.”
