The US military has hit three oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman, killing three Indian sailors. The actions are part of the US-imposed maritime oil blockade against Iran. The incidents have sparked a sharp diplomatic response from India. According to official information from the US Central Command (CENTCOM) and the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, the attacks were carried out within four days against foreign ships with Indian crews. The three sailors who died were killed when the engine room of the Palau-flagged ship, the Settebello, was hit on June 9. The BBC has analysed data showing that the ship is owned by an Indian company, and its manager has categorically denied that the ship is connected to Iranian oil. The Palau-flagged Marivex was hit on June 8 by an F-18 fighter jet. Super Hornet.
The ship caught fire and began to sink, but all 24 Indian sailors were successfully evacuated with the help of Omani forces. The US claims that the ship headed for an Iranian port in violation of regulations.“Jalveer“ (flagged Guinea-Bissau)
On June 11, a US aircraft fired two “Hellfire“ missiles at the engine room of the ship “Jalveer“.
All 20 Indian sailors on board were rescued unharmed
Washington justifies the attacks with the blockade imposed in April 2026 after the escalation of the conflict with Iran. CENTCOM said the ships were fired on only after their crews repeatedly ignored verbal orders to stop. The aim of the strikes was only to block the control and engine rooms, not to sink the vessels.
The Indian government reacted sharply, as the country is among the largest suppliers of naval labor in the world.
A senior American diplomat was officially summoned to Delhi. India demanded that Washington immediately stop attacking merchant ships. India's foreign ministry stressed that the ships were not Indian property and that the sailors were simply civilian workers in a conflict zone.
The sailors' unions issued statements that their members "are workers, not soldiers". They demanded an international investigation into the cases.