Three Indian mariners are confirmed dead after U.S. forces struck a commercial oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman. India’s Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal identified the sailors as Aditya Sharma, Shivanand Chaurasiya, and Patnala Suresh, marking a tragic escalation in Washington’s ongoing naval blockade of Iran.
U.S. Central Command states the Palau-flagged M/T Settebello was targeted on Tuesday after its crew repeatedly ignored direct orders from American forces. CENTCOM released footage showing precision strikes on the vessel’s engine room, asserting the ship was attempting to breach the Iranian port blockade.
New Delhi has responded with sharp diplomatic pushback. India’s External Affairs Ministry summoned a senior U.S. diplomat to register a formal protest, condemning the targeting of civilian maritime infrastructure. Families of the deceased are demanding a full investigation, with relatives confirming the crew had received prior warnings from the U.S. Navy in the weeks leading up to the strike.
The incident is part of a wider U.S. maritime enforcement campaign. Since initiating the blockade on April 13, CENTCOM reports disabling at least nine non-compliant vessels, including the M/T Jalveer and M/T Marivex, for attempting to transport sanctioned Iranian oil. Tensions in the strategic waterway continue to mount as Washington maintains its hardline stance on Tehran’s energy exports.