Three Indian sailors killed in US strike on tanker near Oman, officials confirm

The fatalities represent the initial reported losses since the blockade began on April 13, during which the US has disabled eight ships and redirected over 100 additional vessels.

Three Indian sailors lost their lives during a US military action to stop a tanker off the coast of Oman, part of efforts to enforce a blockade on Iran-linked shipping, according to Indian authorities on Thursday.

These represent the first reported deaths since the blockade started on April 13, with operations that have disabled eight ships and turned away more than 100 others.

In a separate development, the Indian embassy in Oman reported another incident involving a tanker off the Omani coast on Thursday.

The Indian Foreign Ministry noted that the commercial vessel MT Jalveer, carrying 20 Indian crew members, came under attack by US naval forces, though all sailors were confirmed safe.

Of the three vessels involved, the ministry indicated that two were sanctioned by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control, and the third fell into the non-compliant category.

Indian Shipping Ministry verifies sailor deaths, notes 13 vessels remain stranded

Indian Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal verified the deaths of the three sailors.

"Sadly, three Indian seafarers initially reported missing are now confirmed dead after bodies have been located and identified," Sonowal stated.

The Indian Shipping Ministry reported that 562 Indian seafarers are currently on Indian flagged vessels, with over 18,000 Indian sailors in the Gulf region overall, and 13 Indian vessels stranded in the Strait of Hormuz.

India's Foreign Ministry issued a protest against the attacks on ships carrying its citizens, urging the US to take note.

The US military's Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that a US aircraft conducted a precision strike on the Palau-flagged oil products tanker Settebello in the Gulf of Oman.

It "fired precision munitions into the ship's engine room after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions from American forces," CENTCOM stated.

India's foreign ministry condemned the attack on Wednesday and confirmed that 21 Indian sailors had been rescued.

The Omani Navy responded to the Settebello's distress call after it reported an engine fire following the US strike, according to British maritime risk management group Vanguard.

India calls in US official to register formal protest

India summoned the US deputy chief of mission to lodge a "strong protest" over the incident, according to two Indian sources.

Family members of Shivanand Chaurasia, one of the deceased sailors, told reporters he had departed for sea about nine months ago and had reassured his father earlier in the week that all was well.

The US actions against vessels with Indian seafarers occur ahead of next week's Group of Seven summit, where Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to meet with US President Donald Trump. CENTCOM noted that the Settebello "violated the ongoing blockade by attempting to transport oil from Iran."

It added that the US blockade has disabled eight non-compliant vessels, redirected 134 compliant ships, and permitted 42 vessels carrying humanitarian aid to pass.

US forces disabled the unladen Marivex oil tanker, which also carried Indian crew, in the Gulf of Oman on Monday after it tried to reach an Iranian port.

India ranks as the world's third-largest supplier of seafarers, with more than 300,000 sailors employed in global shipping fleets, per government data. Targeted ships include Iranian vessels and shadow fleet tankers, often older ships without Western insurance used for sanctioned oil under various flags to mask ownership and cargo.

"I strongly condemn any act from any party that endangers the lives of seafarers and the safety of international shipping. This is simply unacceptable," said Arsenio Dominguez, secretary-general of the UN's shipping agency the International Maritime Organization, on Wednesday.