Key facts
- India summoned the US chargé d'affaires, Jason Meeks, to protest a strike on the MT Settebello vessel off Oman.
- Three Indian crew members are missing following the US military strike.
- Twenty-one Indian crew members were rescued from the vessel.
- The US Central Command stated the strike was a precision munitions strike on the engine room as the vessel violated a blockade on Iran.
- A third vessel, Jalveer, with an Indian crew was also attacked by the US Navy.
- India's Ministry of External Affairs condemned the attacks and called for an end to them, advocating for dialogue and diplomacy.
India has summoned the US chargé d'affaires, Jason Meeks, to protest a military strike on the MT Settebello vessel off the coast of Oman, which resulted in three Indian crew members going missing and 21 others being rescued. This incident marks the second time in a week that a vessel with Indian crew members has been attacked by the US military near Oman, reportedly for violating a blockade on Iran. The US Central Command stated that a precision strike was executed on the vessel's engine room after the crew failed to comply with directions from American forces. The US also released video footage of the strike and indicated that eight vessels have been disabled in the past two days as part of efforts to curb Iranian oil exports amid regional tensions.
Following the incident and the confirmation of three missing Indian seafarers, India's Ministry of External Affairs demanded that attacks on ships cease. Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that a third ship, named Jalveer, was attacked by the US Navy. India reiterated its call for dialogue and diplomacy to ensure an early return to peace and stability in the region, emphasizing that the targeting of commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure must end and free navigation through international waterways must be restored.