US strike on tanker kills three Indian sailors amid Gulf blockade tensions

Three Indian sailors have been killed and 21 rescued after the US military struck the Palau-flagged oil tanker MT Settebello in the Gulf of Oman on Wednesday. The attack occurred after the vessel failed to comply with directions from American forces, with the US Central Command stating that an aircraft fired precision munitions into the engine room following repeated failures by the crew to heed instructions.

The US military accused the tanker of attempting to transport oil from Iran in violation of a US blockade. This incident marks the second attack on a vessel carrying Indian crew in a single week, following the strike on the MT Marivex on Monday, which also resulted in the rescue of all 24 crew members by Omani forces.

India’s Shipping Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal, described the incident as "deeply unfortunate" in a post on X, confirming that the bodies of the deceased sailors would be repatriated to India. In response to the strike, the Indian government summoned the deputy head of the US mission in Delhi to discuss the matter.

Manoj Yadav, general secretary of the Forward Seamen's Union of India (FSUI), stated that the union is reaching out to the families of the deceased sailors. Yadav expressed disbelief that the US lacked information regarding the nationalities of those on board, suggesting that detaining the ships was a viable alternative to lethal force if they failed to follow instructions.

Tensions in the region remain high as the US military has disabled eight vessels and redirected 134 others since initiating the blockade on 13 April. The Indian government has maintained that the targeting of commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure in the region must end, while diplomatic friction continues to escalate between New Delhi and Washington.