NEW DELHI — Tensions between the United States and India have escalated following a U.S. military strike on the Palau-flagged oil tanker Settebello near the Strait of Hormuz that left three Indian seafarers dead and prompted a formal diplomatic protest from New Delhi.
According to Indian officials, the vessel was struck off the coast of Oman during an ongoing U.S. maritime blockade aimed at preventing shipments of Iranian oil. The tanker carried a predominantly Indian crew. Twenty-one crew members were rescued following the attack, while three sailors were later confirmed dead.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) acknowledged carrying out the strike, stating that the vessel had ignored repeated instructions from American forces and was attempting to transport Iranian oil in violation of the blockade. U.S. officials said precision munitions were used to disable the vessel's engine room.
India's Ministry of External Affairs condemned the attack and summoned a senior U.S. diplomat to register what it described as a strong protest. Indian officials also called for an immediate end to attacks on commercial shipping and stressed the need to protect civilian mariners operating in one of the world's busiest maritime corridors.
The incident has generated significant concern within India's maritime industry, which supplies a large share of the global merchant shipping workforce. Maritime unions and government officials worked alongside Omani authorities during search-and-rescue efforts following the strike.
Reports from rescue coordinators indicate that emergency distress calls were transmitted from the vessel after it sustained damage and began taking on water. Oman's rescue services ultimately evacuated surviving crew members from the stricken tanker.
The deaths have intensified scrutiny of the expanding maritime confrontation in the Gulf of Oman and Strait of Hormuz. The Settebello strike was one of several recent U.S. enforcement actions against tankers accused of violating the blockade. Other vessels crewed by Indian nationals have also been intercepted or disabled in recent days, raising concerns in New Delhi about the safety of Indian seafarers working in the region.
For the families of the deceased sailors, the geopolitical arguments surrounding the blockade offer little comfort. Their deaths have become a symbol of the growing human cost of the confrontation unfolding in one of the world's most strategically important waterways.
As diplomatic tensions rise, India is demanding accountability and stronger protections for civilian crews caught between competing military and political objectives in the Gulf.
Sources supporting the factual claims include Reuters and other international reporting on the incident.
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