3 missing Indian seafarers declared dead after US strike off Oman, confirms Indian govt

Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said on Thursday that all three Indian seafarers who were reported missing after the attack on the Palau-flagged tanker MT Settebello off the coast of Oman have now been confirmed dead.

The crew members have been identified as deck cadet Aditya Sharma, engine fitter Shivanand Chaurasiya, and chief engineer Patnala Suresh.

Sharma's father had earlier appealed for assistance on X, seeking information about the whereabouts of his missing son.

In response, India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) took the step of summoning the US Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission and Chargé d'Affaires, Jason Meeks, to lodge a "strong protest."

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The struck vessel, the Palau-flagged MT Settebello, was transiting international waters 20 nautical miles northeast of the Omani port of Sohar when it was hit. The ship carried a crew of 24, all of whom were Indian nationals.

The Oman Navy, operating in coordination with the Indian Embassy in Muscat, successfully rescued the remaining 21 Indian crew members from the burning vessel.

US justifies strike under regional blockade

US Central Command (Centcom) confirmed it deployed aircraft to fire precision munitions directly into the Settebello’s engine room, triggering a massive onboard fire. According to a statement issued by Centcom, the tanker was targeted because it was allegedly operating in violation of an active US naval blockade on Iranian oil exports.

The US military maintained that the strike was ordered only after the vessel's crew "repeatedly failed to comply with directions from American forces." Maritime tracking data indicated the vessel had previously docked at Chinese ports earlier in the spring before returning to the Gulf region.

The incident marks the second time in three days that US forces have disabled a commercial tanker crewed entirely by Indians.

"The continuing incidents of attacks on shipping in the region are deeply worrisome and a direct result of the ongoing conflict... The targeting of commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure in the region must end," said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal. 

During the diplomatic demarche, MEA Additional Secretary (Americas) Nagaraj Naidu conveyed India's "deep concern" directly to the US envoy, emphasising that the safety of civilian mariners must remain paramount.

While Washington frames the naval operations as a critical enforcement of its blockade against Iran, New Delhi has pushed back against the collateral threat posed to its citizens. The MEA has renewed its urgent appeal for immediate regional de-escalation, urging all sides to prioritise a diplomatic resolution to prevent international waterways from becoming hot zones for civilian trade.