A US official stated that the Palau-flagged tanker MT Settebello ignored nearly 60 verbal warnings and military aircraft displays before being fired upon by US forces. The incident resulted in the deaths of three Indian nationals, prompting India to protest the use of lethal force.
India and the US are in a standoff over attacks on vessels carrying Indian mariners in the Gulf of Oman. India protested lethal actions against commercial shipping, but the US stated violations of its blockade and illicit transport of Iranian oil will not be tolerated, with no exemptions for Indian seafarers.
India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar lodged a strong protest with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio after US Navy attacks in the Gulf resulted in the deaths of three Indian mariners off the Oman coast. Jaishankar deemed the lethal actions against commercial shipping unjustified.
Three Indian mariners were killed when the U.S. military struck the Palau-flagged tanker Settebello for allegedly violating the blockade on Iran. The U.S. military's Central Command stated the tanker attempted to transport oil from Iran and fired into its engine room to stop it.
