Three Indian sailors have been confirmed dead after a US military strike hit the tanker MT Settebello in the Gulf of Oman, marking the latest incident involving commercial vessels amid rising tensions between the United States and Iran. The vessel, carrying 24 Indian crew members, came under attack on Wednesday after the US accused it of violating restrictions linked to its maritime blockade targeting Iranian ports.
India’s Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal confirmed that 21 crew members were rescued and said arrangements were being made to bring the bodies of the deceased sailors back to India. The victims were identified as cadet Aditya Sharma, fitter Shivanand Chaurashiya and chief engineer Patnala Suresh.
According to the US Central Command (Centcom), an American aircraft fired precision munitions at the tanker’s engine room after the crew allegedly failed to comply with repeated instructions. The strike is the third involving a ship with Indian crew members in the Gulf region this week.
Earlier, the US military confirmed it had struck the Palau-flagged tanker Marivex in the Gulf of Oman after it reportedly ignored US directives. All 24 Indian crew members aboard that vessel were rescued by Omani authorities before the ship sank. On Thursday, Indian officials also reported that the Guinea-Bissau-flagged MT Jalveer was attacked near Oman’s Shinas port, although all 20 crew members on board were reported safe.
India has formally protested the attacks. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi had summoned the US chargé d’affaires and expressed its deepest concerns regarding the repeated incidents involving commercial vessels staffed largely by Indian nationals. Indian officials reiterated that civilian shipping and commercial infrastructure should not be targeted during regional conflicts.
The deaths have sparked anger among the families of the victims. Rajesh Sharma, father of cadet Aditya Sharma, questioned why the tanker had been operating near the Strait of Hormuz and called for a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the attack. He said his son had been due to return home in May before his assignment was extended and that they had last spoken only days before the strike.
The US naval blockade was imposed after Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz during the ongoing conflict, disrupting one of the world’s most important energy transit routes. Centcom said US forces have disabled eight vessels and redirected 134 others since the blockade began on 13 April.
The Forward Seamen’s Union of India also criticised the US action. General Secretary Manoj Yadav argued that if ships failed to comply with instructions, authorities had alternatives to military force and questioned whether sufficient consideration had been given to the nationalities of those on board.
India’s shipping ministry estimates that more than 18,000 Indian seafarers are currently working across the Gulf region, including hundreds operating in and around the Gulf of Oman and west of the Strait of Hormuz.
The maritime incidents come as tensions between Washington and Tehran continue to escalate. Both countries have exchanged strikes for a second consecutive day despite a fragile ceasefire reached in April. President Donald Trump recently warned that Iran would face severe consequences if it continued delaying a peace agreement, while Iranian officials have vowed to respond to any further attacks. The conflict, which began on 28 February following US and Israeli strikes on Iran, has expanded across the region and continues to threaten stability in the Middle East.
