India protests US strike on tanker as sailors remain missing in Gulf of Oman

The Indian government has summoned the deputy head of the US mission in Delhi to protest the US military’s disabling of the Palau-flagged oil tanker Settebello in the Gulf of Oman. New Delhi described the incident as a targeting of commercial shipping and called for an immediate end to such actions against civilian infrastructure in the region.

US Central Command stated that an aircraft fired precision munitions into the vessel’s engine room after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions from American forces. The military accused the tanker of violating an American blockade by attempting to transport oil from Iran.

Indian authorities reported that three Indian sailors are missing following the attack, while 21 other crew members have been rescued. The incident marks the second time this week that US forces have struck a Palau-flagged tanker carrying an Indian crew, following a similar engagement with the vessel Marivex earlier in the week.

The blockade was initiated by the US on 13 April after Tehran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for approximately 20 per cent of the world’s oil and gas supplies. According to Central Command, US forces have disabled eight vessels and redirected 134 others since the blockade began.

Tensions between the US and Iran remain high despite a ceasefire agreement reached in April. President Donald Trump recently threatened to hit Iran “hard,” accusing Tehran of delaying a peace deal. The conflict, which began in late February with US and Israeli strikes on Iran, has seen fighting escalate across the region, including in Lebanon.