Three Indian seafarers were killed in a US strike on the oil tanker Settebello off the coast of Oman on Wednesday night, prompting India to lodge a formal protest as tensions escalated sharply in the Gulf region.
Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Thursday confirmed that all three Indian crew members earlier reported missing had died. Two deaths were confirmed immediately after the attack, while the body of the third sailor remained untraced for two days before authorities declared him dead.
The deceased were identified, according to Manoj Yadav, General Secretary of the Forward Seamen’s Union of India (FSUI), as Aditya Sharma, a deck cadet, and Shivanand Chaurasiya, an engine fitter. Chief Engineer Patnala Suresh was earlier reported missing.
Following the incident, India summoned US Deputy Chief of Mission Jason Meeks and lodged a strong protest over the strike on the commercial vessel carrying 24 Indian seafarers.
US calls strike “precision operation”
The United States Central Command said it carried out a “precision” strike on the tanker as it transited the Gulf of Oman, alleging the vessel was transporting Iranian oil and that the crew failed to comply with instructions issued by US forces.
The strike comes amid rapidly deteriorating security conditions in the Middle East, where maritime routes have become increasingly vulnerable due to the ongoing Iran-related conflict and repeated missile exchanges in the region. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has warned of retaliation, raising fears of wider escalation.
Fresh US strikes on Indian-crewed vessel
Adding to the crisis, another Indian-crewed vessel, Jalveer, was also struck in Gulf waters this week, taking the number of targeted vessels to three. The US fired two Hellfire missiles into its engine room, but authorities confirmed that all 20 crew members were safe. The incident comes days after and another vessel Marivex was struck by US missiles, whose crew was safely rescued.
The latest attack marks the third strike involving Indian-crewed tankers within a week.
Also read: MEA summons US diplomat over attack on vessel near Oman coast
India summons US envoy, raises concern in UN
The Embassy of India in Oman said it was monitoring an “incident” near Shinas port and coordinating with local authorities. Earlier, another vessel, Marivex, was targeted, though its 24 Indian crew members were safely rescued.
India has also taken up the matter at the United Nations Security Council. India’s Permanent Representative Harish Parvathaneni said New Delhi is “deeply concerned” over escalating tensions in Iran and the Gulf and urged all parties to exercise restraint.
He stressed that attacks on commercial vessels threaten global trade and endanger thousands of Indian seafarers, calling for protection of freedom of navigation and urgent diplomatic de-escalation.
Trump says US will ‘be taking’ Kharg Island in latest war threat
United States President Donald Trump has said the US will strike Iran “very hard” and “be taking Kharg Island”, escalating rhetoric amid ongoing hostilities in the Gulf region.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump warned that the US military would target Iranian oil infrastructure “in the not too distant future”, signalling a potential widening of operations following two days of strikes and counterstrikes between the two sides.
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