NEW DELHI, June 10, 2026 – India on Wednesday strongly condemned an attack on the commercial vessel Settebello off the coast of Oman and confirmed that search and rescue operations are underway for three missing Indian crew members, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
ANI adds: India summoned Jason Meeks, Chargé d’Affaires of the United States, to protest the attack.
What happened
U.S. Central Command CENTCOM said at 11:14 p.m. on June 9 it disabled the Palau-flagged chemical and oil products tanker M/T Settebello in the Gulf of Oman. In a statement, CENTCOM said a U.S. aircraft fired precision munitions into the ship’s engine room after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions from American forces. The tanker was intercepted for violating a blockade on Iran oil transport. CENTCOM added that since April 13 it has disabled 8 non-compliant vessels, redirected 134 that complied, and allowed 42 humanitarian aid ships to pass.
UK Maritime Trade Operations UKMTO reported the vessel suffered an engine room fire approximately 20 nautical miles northeast of Sohar Port. British risk firm Vanguard said the Omani Navy responded promptly after receiving a distress call.
Indian crew impact
The MEA confirmed 24 Indian nationals were onboard Settebello. Of them, 21 have been rescued while three remain missing.“We condemn the attack on the commercial vessel Settebello off the coast of Oman earlier today. Of the 24 Indian crew onboard, 21 Indians have been rescued thus far and three Indians are reportedly missing. Our Embassy in Oman is closely monitoring the situation and proactively coordinating with the Omani authorities in the ongoing search and rescue operation,” the MEA said.
The Indian Embassy in Muscat is in touch with Omani authorities as rescue efforts continue. Ship-tracking data from MarineTraffic showed the partially laden tanker was last recorded off the Omani coast on June 1.
Context
The incident comes amid heightened security concerns in the Strait of Hormuz region. Last week, the Forward Seamen’s Union of India sought assistance for 24 Indian crew members aboard another vessel, Marivex, reportedly attacked near the Omani coast.This is a developing story. Updates will follow as more details emerge.
The incident comes amid heightened security concerns in the Strait of Hormuz region. Last week, the Forward Seamen’s Union of India sought assistance for 24 Indian crew members aboard another vessel, Marivex, reportedly attacked near the Omani coast.This is a developing story. Updates will follow as more details emerge.
Source: Ministry of External Affairs, U.S. Central Command, UKMTO, MarineTraffic
