WATCH | US military shares footage of its strikes on oil tanker Settebello as India summons envoy

The United States military on Wednesday shared video footage of its strikes on a commercial vessel, Settebello, off the Oman coast. The ship has 24 Indian crew members onboard, of whom 3 remain missing. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump was seen boasting about American strikes on commercial vessels on the same day India summoned the US envoy over the latest incident.

While speaking to the reporters at the White House, Trump said: "I can say it now, we have been taking out millions of barrels of oil, nobody knows. You know who doesn't know about it? Iran, until right now. We took out the other night, clans of ships late at night with no lights. That's why oil is $85 a barrel."

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However, this boasting of Trump came just hours after India summoned a senior American diplomat after Washington fired on a Palau-flagged vessel with 24 Indian sailors on board off the coast of Oman, leaving three Indian seafarers missing.

On Wednesday, India's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it had summoned Jason Meeks, the US Embassy’s deputy chief of mission in New Delhi. The incident and America's reaction to it have the potential to cause a diplomatic rift between Washington and New Delhi.

What went down

The US Centcom said that it carried out a “precision” strike on a vessel, the Settebello, while it was transporting Iranian oil and travelling throught the Gulf of Oman. Centcom said that the boat was struck because the crew failed to comply with the instructions of the US forces.

It is pertinent to note that the vessel in question was a chemical/oil products tanker which reported an engine room fire 20 nautical miles (about 37km) northeast of Oman’s port of Sohar, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency said. According to British maritime risk management group Vanguard, the Omani Navy responded to the Settebello distress call.

The authorities managed to rescue 21 Indian sailors, and three continue to remain missing. The Indian foreign ministry condemned the attack, calling for an end to attacks on commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure in the region.

“Our embassy in Oman is closely monitoring the situation and proactively coordinating with the Omani authorities in the ongoing search and rescue operation,” the ministry said in a statement. “The targeting of commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure in the region must end.”