India on Thursday strongly protested to the United States after three merchant vessels carrying Indian crew members came under attack by American military forces off the coast of Oman within four days, resulting in the deaths of three Indian seafarers.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed that it had summoned US Charge d’Affaires Jason Meeks and conveyed India’s deep concern over the incidents, marking the first public acknowledgement of US military action targeting ships carrying Indian crew.
According to official information, a Palau-flagged oil tanker, MT Marivex, carrying 24 Indian seafarers, was disabled by US forces on June 8. All crew members aboard the vessel were rescued safely.
A second Palau-flagged tanker, MT Settebello, was struck by US forces on June 10, resulting in the deaths of three Indian sailors among the 24 crew members on board.
Following the latest attack, India lodged a formal diplomatic protest with Washington.
“We attach high importance to the welfare and well-being of our seafaring community. When this particular attack on the ship MT Settebello occurred, we lodged a strong protest with the American side,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during an inter-ministerial media briefing.
“We summoned the US Charge d’Affaires and conveyed our deepest concern over the ongoing incidents. We also registered our strong protest,” he added.
Jaiswal stressed that such attacks must cease immediately and reiterated India’s position that dialogue and diplomacy remain the only viable path to resolving regional tensions.
“We further conveyed that dialogue and diplomacy are the way forward for the peaceful resolution of the conflict and that there should be unimpeded access through the Strait of Hormuz in accordance with international law,” he said.
The MEA also emphasised that the safety and welfare of Indian nationals remained a top priority for the government.
Jaiswal clarified that while the vessels involved were not Indian-owned, they carried significant numbers of Indian crew members. Two of the ships were registered in Palau, while the third vessel was flagged in Guinea-Bissau.
He stated that the attacks were carried out by US Navy forces operating in the region.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) has confirmed strikes on MT Settebello and MT Marivex but has not yet commented on reports regarding a third vessel, Jalveer.
Providing an update on evacuation efforts, Mukesh Mangal, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, said that all surviving crew members from MT Settebello had been safely evacuated.
The rescued personnel include 21 Indians, two Pakistanis, one Russian and one Ukrainian national.
Mangal also announced that the Seamen Welfare Fund Society has been directed to provide financial assistance of ₹10 lakh each to the families of the three deceased Indian sailors.
He further revealed that more than 18,000 Indian seafarers are currently deployed across the Gulf region, including 562 crew members aboard 13 Indian-flagged vessels. Of these, 329 are located west of the Strait of Hormuz, while 233 are operating in the Gulf of Oman.
The government is closely monitoring the situation amid escalating tensions in the region, particularly around key maritime routes critical to global trade and energy supplies.
Jaiswal noted that two of the vessels involved were reportedly under sanctions administered by the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), while another had been categorised as non-compliant.
The incidents have heightened concerns over the safety of commercial shipping and the thousands of Indian seafarers operating in one of the world’s most strategically sensitive maritime regions.
