US Navy Attacks Oil Tankers: Concerns Raised Over Safety of Indian Seafarers in Gulf Region

The deaths of three Indian sailors near the Oman coast have raised growing concerns over the safety of more than 18,000 Indian seafarers in the entire Gulf region. The deaths are the first reported since the blockade began on April 13. The US attacks come ahead of next week’s Group of Seven summit, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to hold bilateral talks with US President Donald Trump. New Delhi has lodged a strong protest against the US attack on the oil tanker in Oman, and is also in “direct communication” with the US State Department over the incident. “When this particular attack happened on the Palau-flagged MT Settebello, we lodged a strong protest with the American side. We called in the American CDA and informed them of our deepest concerns about the ongoing incidents of attacks, and we registered a strong protest with them. These attacks came from the US Navy stationed there. The three ships that have been involved in the incidents are foreign-flagged. They are not Indian-owned ships; they are all foreign flagships,” MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a press briefing today. At present, 562 Indian seafarers are there on Indian flagged vessels, including 329 in the Persian Gulf region, west of Hormuz and 233 in the Gulf of Oman, east of Hormuz, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Mukesh Mangal told the gathering. “There are more than 18,000 Indian seafarers in total in the whole Gulf region,” he added. In a post on X, the US Central Command said it fired two Hellfire missiles into the engine room of the oil tanker, after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions from American forces over the blockade outside the Strait of Hormuz, off the Oman coast. https://t.co/6VEqoDxDSb According to their post, the US Navy has disabled nine non-compliant vessels, redirected 135 ships that complied, and allowed 42 vessels supporting humanitarian aid to pass since initiating the blockade on April 13. MT Settebello was among the three ships with Indian crews that were attacked by the US Navy this week, Randhir Jaiswal told reporters. “These attacks must cease and end,” he said. “We also call for dialogue and diplomacy so that we can have an early return to peace and stability in the region.” Shivanand Chaurasia, one of the sailors who died, had gone to sea about nine months ago and had told his father earlier this week that “everything was fine.” The deceased also included Aditya Sharma, a young deck cadet from Himachal Pradesh. “We want to know the full truth of what happened. I will request Anurag Thakur Ji and the Himachal Pradesh government to conduct a complete investigation and ensure that whoever is responsible is given the strictest possible punishment. Our hearts are shattered,” his grandfather said, according to news agency PTI. Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said the deaths of the three sailors was a “profound loss to our maritime family.” India has more than 300,000 sailors working in global shipping fleets, according to government data. The Hormuz incident is likely to be brought up by PM Modi during an expected meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit, scheduled to be held from June 15 to 17 in Évian-les-Bains in southeastern France. The two world leaders last met in February in Washington following the latter’s return to the Oval Office. The high-profile meeting was held against the backdrop of tariff tensions. At that time, the two leaders pledged to double India-US trade to $500 billion by 2030. The expected meeting amid the G7 Summit will be closely watched for signals on trade negotiations, energy cooperation and the broader strategic alignment between New Delhi and Washington amid growing global geopolitical tensions.