Key facts
- A U.S. official told the Associated Press that the tanker M/T Settebello ignored nearly 60 verbal warnings and eight shows of force before being fired upon.
- The U.S. military confirmed firing precision munitions into the tanker's engine room, disabling it.
- Three Indian sailors died in the incident.
- The U.S. official described the vessel as a shadow fleet ship involved in illegal Iranian oil transfers.
- India has lodged a strong protest with the United States over the incident.
The U.S. military fired precision munitions into the engine room of the tanker M/T Settebello, disabling the vessel and killing three Indian sailors, according to an official familiar with the incident. The tanker had reportedly ignored nearly 60 verbal warnings and eight shows of force from military aircraft over two weeks before the engagement in the Gulf of Oman. The U.S. official described the ship as part of a shadow fleet used for illicit Iranian oil transfers and noted it had attempted to breach the U.S. blockade multiple times. U.S. Central Command stated that the crew was given 15 minutes to evacuate the engine room before the shots were fired. India has lodged a strong protest with the United States over the incident. Secretary of State Marco Rubio later told his Indian counterpart that commercial vessels must comply with U.S. orders to maintain security in the Strait.