Settebello tanker had 24 Indians on board when it was struck by American forces
India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Friday lodged a strong diplomatic protest with the United States after a US Navy strike on an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman claimed the lives of three Indian seafarers.
Jaishankar spoke directly with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, firmly stating that “such lethal actions against commercial shipping are not justified.” He later confirmed the conversation on social media platform X, reiterating India’s condemnation of the strikes that killed Indian mariners in the Gulf.
Earlier the same day, the US Charge d’Affaires Jason Meeks was summoned to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, where a formal protest was lodged over the continuing attacks by US naval forces on commercial vessels carrying Indian crew members in the Gulf of Oman.
The Ministry expressed deep concern over the use of deadly force against civilian shipping, calling such actions “unacceptable” and warning that they undermine the safety, security and stability of international maritime commerce in an already sensitive region. Meeks was urged to convey India’s strong concerns to his authorities and ensure that preventive steps are taken to protect civilian lives.
The diplomatic escalation followed confirmation by Indian authorities that three crew members — initially listed as missing after the strike — had been found dead. The Palau-flagged oil tanker Settebello was carrying 28 crew members at the time of the attack, including 24 Indian nationals along with two Pakistani, one Ukrainian and one Russian sailor. Twenty-one Indian sailors were successfully rescued, while search efforts for the remaining crew continued until the deaths were officially confirmed.
The US military acknowledged carrying out the strike. US Central Command stated that one of its aircraft fired on and disabled the vessel after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions from US naval personnel. According to CENTCOM, the tanker was allegedly attempting to transport Iranian oil in violation of an ongoing American blockade.
The strike comes amid sharply heightened tensions in the region, where competing maritime restrictions linked to the ongoing West Asia conflict have severely disrupted commercial shipping routes.
India has strongly criticised the attack, noting that the vessel was engaged in commercial activity and carried a large number of Indian nationals. The Ministry of External Affairs described the strikes as “deeply concerning” and directly linked to the broader Middle East conflict, while once again calling for immediate de-escalation in the region.
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