Following the US naval strikes on MT Marifix, Sitpilo and MT Gulliver, a spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs said two of the vessels had been sanctioned by the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control while one of them was “non-compliant”.
To be sure, each of the three ships attacked had a complicated history with blemishes, inspections, arrests, and punishments.
The MT Marivex, which was the first ship to be struck by the US Navy off the coast of Oman with 24 Indian sailors on board, is linked to Panama-based Arihant Shipping. The company was hit with US sanctions in 2025 after the US Treasury Department said the company was part of Iran’s shadow fleet network, allowing Tehran to evade sanctions on its petrochemical sector. At the time the sanctions were imposed, the Palau-flagged vessel MT Marivex was named Arihant and was sanctioned under that name for transporting “hundreds of thousands of barrels of Iranian fuel oil and bitumen within the Persian Gulf since July 2025.”
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Shortly thereafter, in February 2026, the ship was renamed MT Marivex and declassified under the Indian Register of Shipping at the request of its owners, according to the Equasis maritime shipping database. A ship’s classification is important because it “establishes minimum technical standards designed to improve maritime safety and protect the lives of seafarers throughout their life cycle,” according to the International Association of Classification Societies. Withdrawal of the rating will usually result in the vessel losing its ability to obtain insurance and operate legally and commercially.
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The second ship struck by the US military, the Sitibello, had a similarly checkered past. The vessel is owned by Aqua Aurora Shipping Lines and operated by IOS Marine FZ, both based in the United Arab Emirates. The ship, formerly known as Hana, had its shipping classification suspended in 2021 due to it not meeting various conditions and criteria for its classification. In 2022, the ship was detained in the Russian port of Novorossiysk after an inspection revealed 29 defects in a number of categories including fire safety, navigation safety, health protection and medical care.
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“When a ship is detained in port due to safety failures, the consequences can be severe. From failure to adhere to schedules and mounting fines, to reputational damage and contract violations, the financial and operational impact is growing rapidly,” according to Star International, a marine services company.
Maritime detentions are publicly recorded and can significantly impact revenue by delaying shipments and causing reputational damage.
While the ship was released after further inspection, Settebello was detained again in February 2026 in the Chinese port of Lianyungang due to defects in emergency systems and lifeboats and difficult weather conditions.
The MT Jalveer, which was bombed by the US Navy on Thursday, is owned by Liberia-based Jal Shipping. The ship was detained at the Indian port of Haldia in February this year due to deficiencies related to fire safety and emergency preparedness.
