The Indian government condemned a US attack on a commercial vessel off the coast of Oman on Wednesday that left three Indian crew members missing, while also officially lodging a protest with the US embassy in New Delhi. The Palau-flagged Settebello, a chemical/oil products tanker, was struck by precision munitions while transiting the Gulf of Oman, with 24 Indian seafarers onboard. Of these, 21 have been rescued.
Diplomatic Response
It is learnt that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Additional Secretary (Americas) Nagaraj Naidu summoned US Charge d’Affaires Jason Meeks and delivered a formal demarche protesting the attack. This was the second such incident in recent days involving US forces targeting a shipping vessel with many Indian crew members.
Unlike the ship targeted earlier, the Settebello is not blacklisted by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control, a point Naidu emphasized during the extended meeting that began at 8:45 PM and lasted nearly 25 minutes. India had not condemned the first attack. The Indian official urged an end to the targeting of commercial shipping, underscoring India's stance that the lives of seafarers are paramount.
Previous Incidents
India had previously summoned Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Fathali in April to protest an attack on Indian tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The MEA stated after the latest US strike that continuing incidents of attacks on shipping in the region are deeply worrisome and a direct result of the ongoing conflict in the region.
"We reiterate our call for immediate de-escalation of tensions, and the conclusion of ongoing negotiations for a diplomatic solution so that peace and stability can return to the region," said the ministry.
Government's Stance
The government again underlined that the targeting of commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure in the region must end, and free and unimpeded navigation and commerce through international waterways in keeping with international law must be restored at the earliest. On the missing Indians, the Indian embassy in Oman is closely monitoring the situation and proactively coordinating with Omani authorities in the ongoing search and rescue operation, said the ministry.
Details of the Attack
The attack took place days after another US "disabling" of another Palau-flagged vessel with 24 Indians onboard. All of them were rescued with help from Oman authorities. The sanctioned vessel was trying to evade the US blockade when it was hit. The US had imposed the blockade on April 13, in response to Iranian restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said that a US aircraft fired precision munitions into the ship's engine room after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions from American forces. "CENTCOM forces have disabled eight non-compliant vessels, redirected 134 ships that complied, and allowed 42 vessels supporting humanitarian aid to pass since initiating the blockade on April 13," it said in a statement.
The ship targeted on Wednesday reported an engine room fire 20 nautical miles northeast of Oman's port of Sohar, said the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency, according to a Reuters report. Omani authorities responded to the partially laden tanker's distress messages.
