India Confirms 3 Sailors Dead After US Strike on Tanker Off Oman
The United States killed three Indian sailors when it struck a Palau-flagged tanker off Oman's coast, prompting India to lodge a formal protest. The incident represents the second US attack on commercial vessels carrying Indian crew members in a single week as Washington enforces a blockade on Iranian oil.
Deadly Strike
Three Indian sailors have been confirmed dead after a US military strike on the Palau-flagged tanker MT Settebello off the coast of Oman, prompting India to lodge a formal protest with Washington. The latest maritime incident against Guinea-Bissau flagged MT Jalveer came the day after the US military fired on a Palau-flagged MT Settebello, also off the coast of Oman, with three Indian sailors reported missing on Wednesday being confirmed killed on Thursday.
US Blockade Enforcement
U.S. Central Command confirmed that U.S. military forces had disabled the Settebello in the Gulf of Oman, saying the tanker had "violated the ongoing blockade by attempting to transport oil from Iran," and that a U.S. aircraft fired precision munitions into the ship's engine room after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions from American forces. The US military said the Jalveer was the third commercial vessel disabled by American forces this week, with CENTCOM saying it has disabled nine vessels and redirected 135 others since the US blockade on Iranian reports began on April 13.
Diplomatic Consequences
The US attacks on vessels with Indian seafarers come at a time when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to hold bilateral talks with President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit next week. The incidents raise serious questions about the safety of commercial shipping in the Persian Gulf region and the collateral consequences of the US enforcement of its Iranian blockade.