India Summons US Diplomat After Strike on Vessel With 24 Indian Sailors Leaves 3 Missing
Updated
Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jun 10
India Summons US Diplomat After Strike on Vessel With 24 Indian Sailors Leaves 3 Missing
3 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jun 10
Summary
Jason Meeks, the US Embassy’s deputy chief of mission in New Delhi, was summoned after US forces struck the Palau-flagged tanker Settebello off Oman, with 24 Indian sailors aboard.
Twenty-one Indian crew members were rescued and three remain missing after the vessel reported an engine-room fire about 20 nautical miles northeast of Sohar; Oman is coordinating the search.
CENTCOM said it carried out a “precision” strike because the tanker, which it said was transporting Iranian oil, failed to comply with US instructions.
India condemned attacks on commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure, while the IMO chief called any action endangering seafarers “simply unacceptable.”
The incident adds to scrutiny of Washington’s Iran naval blockade and could deepen strains in India-US ties, already under pressure after other strikes on ships carrying Indian sailors.
After a US strike on a ship with its citizens, how will India navigate its strained partnership with Washington?
With oil over $100 and allies protesting, is the US naval blockade against Iran becoming a self-defeating strategy?
When a US blockade endangers neutral sailors, who bears responsibility for the human cost of this geopolitical conflict?
The Settebello Strike: U.S. Blockade Enforcement in the Gulf of Oman and the 2026 Maritime Crisis
Overview
On June 10, 2026, U.S. military forces struck the Palau-flagged tanker Settebello in the Gulf of Oman, marking a sharp escalation in the region. This action was part of a broader U.S. blockade of Iran-related shipping, which began after Iran severely restricted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Since the blockade started, U.S. Central Command has disabled eight ships and redirected over a hundred others. The Settebello incident, with casualties and missing crew, highlights the growing risks to commercial shipping and the rising diplomatic tensions, especially as the U.S. refrains from commenting on the aftermath.