Today, Indian Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal announced that three Indian crew of a tanker struck yesterday by the U.S. military in the Gulf of Oman are dead. The U.S. military had fired a precision munition at the MT [Motor Tanker] Settebello, with the claim that the tanker was violating the blockade. Originally, the three MT Settebello crew members had been reported missing; the other 25 members of the crew had been rescued.
The International Maritime Organization said yesterday that it “strongly condemns” the attack on the ship. IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez, prior to the announcement of the death of three of the crew, stated: “This is simply unacceptable. My thoughts are with the families of the three missing seafarers and with all those awaiting news of the crew members.”
Earlier, on June 8, the U.S. had attacked the MT Marivex oil tanker, setting it ablaze; Oman rescued all of the crew members. Yesterday, after the second attack in a three days on a tanker crewed by Indians, the Foreign Ministry summoned U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Jason Meeks and lodged a protest. They stated: “The continuing incidents of attacks on shipping in the region are deeply worrisome and a direct result of the ongoing conflict in the region.” They called for an “immediate de-escalation of tensions.” This call was repeated by India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, who called for the U.S. to “exercise restraint, avoid escalation and prioritize the safety of civilians.”
Washington made clear today that they have no intention to listen, firing at yet another petrochemical tanker, the MT Jalveer, off the coast of Oman. India’s Foreign Ministry reported that the all-Indian crew were safe, but the “continuing incidents affecting commercial shipping in the region are deeply concerning.”
The U.S. Central Command (Centcom) stated that it had acted against the Jalveer as it “attempted to transport oil from Iran through the Gulf of Oman.” It said an aircraft fired two Hellfire missiles into the ship’s engine room after the crew “repeatedly failed” to comply with directions from U.S. forces.
