Hours after demarche, US hits another vessel carrying Indians

A day after three Indian sailors were killed in a US strike on a merchant vessel off the coast of Oman, American military on Thursday struck another commercial oil tanker, MT Jalveer, carrying 20 Indian crew members in the same area. All 20 of them were safely evacuated, the Indian Embassy in Oman said.

This was the third attack in a week by the US on merchant vessels that had Indian seafarers aboard. Today’s attack on the Guinea-Bissau flagged tanker came hours after New Delhi had issued a demarche to US Chargé d’Affaires Jason Meeks to protest the attack that killed three Indian sailors aboard Palau-flagged MT Settebello. While one casualty was immediately confirmed, the two missing mariners were declared dead later.

The US Central Command said it disabled MT Jalveer after the vessel allegedly violated the blockade against attempting to transport Iranian oil. An aircraft fired two Hellfire missiles into the ship’s engine room after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions from the US forces, it said. On Monday, the US had disabled Palau-flagged MT Marivex. It too had Indian seafarers aboard. As many as 21 Indian mariners were rescued from MT Settebello. According to the UK Maritime Trade Operations, Settebello was hit some 20 nautical miles northeast of Sohar (Oman). It was supposedly moving around as a “dark ship”, meaning its automated identification system was not switched on. The ship had not sunk, Indian sources said.

Forward Seamen’s Union of India general secretary Manoj Yadav said he believed the US naval forces would have known the nationalities of those onboard the vessels. “I refuse to believe the US lacked information regarding the nationalities of the people on board those ships. The US naval forces knew exactly how many Indians and foreign nationals were there. If the ships failed to heed their instructions, detaining them was a viable alternative,” Yadav told news agency ANI.

The opposition Congress expressed “profound grief” at the loss of lives and condemned the “reckless military actions” undertaken by the US. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly showcased his personal rapport with President Donald Trump as a diplomatic achievement. He cannot evade responsibility when that relationship fails to protect Indian lives and interests,” it said.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “We attach high importance to the welfare and well-being of our seafaring community. When this particular attack on MT Settebello occurred, we lodged a strong protest with the American side.”

Mukesh Mangal, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, said more than 18,000 Indian seafarers, including 562 crew members aboard 13 Indian-flagged ships, remained in the Gulf region. Of them, 329 were on vessels on the west of the Strait of Hormuz and 233 on vessels in the Gulf of Oman, he said.