The administration of US President Donald Trump has acknowledged launching two Hellfire missiles at a third commercial vessel carrying Indian crew members off the coast of Oman. This incident marks the latest in a series of attacks on merchant ships in the Gulf region, resulting in the deaths of three Indian seafarers over the past four days.
US Central Command Confirms Strike
According to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), American forces disabled the Guinea-Bissau-flagged tanker MT Jalveer in the Gulf of Oman at 11:20 pm ET on June 10. This was the third commercial vessel targeted by US forces within a week. CENTCOM stated that it acted against the vessel because it was attempting to transport oil from Iran through the Gulf of Oman.
A US aircraft fired two Hellfire missiles into the ship's engine room after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions from US forces. This strike came days after US forces disabled the Palau-flagged tankers M/T Marivex and M/T Settebello. Marivex and Settebello were targeted on June 8 and June 10, respectively, while the Guinea-Bissau-flagged bitumen tanker MT Jalveer, carrying 20 Indian crew members, was struck on June 11. This made it the third vessel with Indians on board to come under attack in four days.
India Lodges Strong Protest
India strongly condemned the attacks on merchant vessels manned by Indian seafarers and lodged a formal protest with the United States regarding the repeated strikes in and around the Strait of Hormuz, amid the ongoing US-Iran-Israel conflict. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, "We condemned the attack on a ship off the coast of Oman in which, unfortunately, we lost three Indian nationals." The MEA clarified that the three vessels targeted were not Indian-owned.
Jaiswal noted that two of the three vessels targeted by US forces were already under sanctions imposed by the US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), while Settebello had been classified as a non-compliant vessel. Following the attack on Settebello, India summoned US Charge d’Affaires Jason Meeks and handed over a formal diplomatic protest, or demarche, over the incident.
Shipping Minister Expresses Grief
Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal expressed grief over the deaths, saying, "It is deeply unfortunate to learn of the tragic incident aboard Palau-flagged MT Settebello. Sadly, three Indian seafarers initially reported missing are now confirmed dead after bodies have been located and identified. This is a profound loss to our maritime family." He added that the government stands firmly with the bereaved families and is fully committed to supporting the next of kin.
Additional Secretary in the Shipping Ministry Mukesh Mangal reported that all remaining 25 crew members aboard Settebello, including 21 Indians, two Pakistanis, one Russian, and one Ukrainian, had been safely evacuated. He also mentioned that the Seamen Welfare Fund Society has been directed to provide Rs 10 lakh each to the families of the deceased Indian sailors.
Blockade Enforced Impartially
CENTCOM said that since launching its blockade on April 13, American forces have disabled nine non-compliant vessels, redirected 135 ships that complied with instructions, and allowed 42 vessels carrying humanitarian aid to pass. "The blockade is being enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman," CENTCOM stated.
