India said a Guinea-Bissau-flagged tanker with 20 Indian crew members was struck off the coast of Oman on Thursday, marking the third incident this week involving Indian-crewed vessels linked to United States enforcement operations in the Gulf of Oman.
Indian authorities said all crew members aboard the MT Jalveer were safe and were being evacuated after a fire broke out near the vessel’s engine room and funnel.
The development came a day after a strike on the Palau-flagged tanker MT Settebello, in which three Indian sailors were killed.
India’s Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal confirmed that three Indian seafarers previously reported missing following the Settebello incident had been found dead.
The deceased were identified by Indian maritime union officials as deck cadet Aditya Sharma, engine fitter Shivanand Chaurasiya and Chief Engineer Patnala Suresh.
Indian authorities said arrangements were being made for the repatriation of surviving crew members and the return of the victims’ remains.
India’s foreign ministry summoned a senior US diplomat in New Delhi and lodged what it described as a strong protest following the Settebello strike.
The tanker was among vessels targeted as part of US operations enforcing a blockade on Iran-related shipping.
Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the Jalveer was attacked by the US Navy near Oman’s Shinas port.
The Indian embassy in Oman said it was coordinating with local authorities regarding the incident.
British maritime security firms reported that the vessel issued a distress call after a fire erupted on board.
US Central Command later said it had acted against the Jalveer while the vessel was allegedly transporting Iranian oil through the Gulf of Oman.
According to CENTCOM, a US aircraft fired two Hellfire missiles into the ship’s engine room after repeated failures to comply with directions from US forces.
The Jalveer incident followed earlier actions against the Settebello and the Marivex, another tanker carrying Indian crew members.
Omani authorities had airlifted 24 Indian sailors from the Marivex on June 8 after that vessel was disabled during US blockade enforcement operations.
US officials said multiple vessels had been intercepted, redirected or disabled since the blockade began in April amid heightened tensions involving Iran and shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz.