Everything you need to know about the US attacks on Indian-crewed tankers

Three Indian-crewed tankers have been targeted by US forces in the Gulf of Oman this week, leaving three Indian sailors dead and triggering a diplomatic response from India.

The incidents come amid a US blockade of Iran-linked shipping that began on April 13 after Iran severely curtailed shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a major global oil and gas route.

Here is everything you need to know.

Why are ships being targeted?

According to US Central Command (Centcom), the strikes are part of a blockade targeting Iran-linked shipping.

The US military says vessels are being stopped or disabled if they fail to comply with directions issued by American forces enforcing the blockade.

Ships being targeted include Iranian vessels as well as others carrying Iranian cargoes, including so-called shadow fleet tankers. These are typically older vessels without Western insurance used to transport sanctioned oil and sailing under the flags of various nations to obscure their true ownership, cargo and movements.

Which Indian-crewed tankers have been hit?

Three tankers with Indian crew members onboard have been targeted this week.

The first incident took place on Monday when US forces disabled the Marivex oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman using precision munitions after it attempted to sail to an Iranian port.

The Marivex was the only one of the three tankers under US sanctions.

A second strike took place on Wednesday when the tanker Settebello was hit off Oman.

The third incident occurred on Thursday when a US aircraft fired two Hellfire missiles into the engine room of the tanker Jalveer.

What happened to the Jalveer?

Centcom said a US aircraft targeted the vessel after its crew repeatedly failed to comply with instructions.

“A U.S. aircraft fired two Hellfire missiles into the ship’s engine room after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions from U.S. forces,” Centcom said in a statement.

The US military said it had “acted against” the Guinea-Bissau flagged tanker as it “attempted to transport oil from Iran through the Gulf of Oman”.

An Indian shipping ministry official said all 20 crew members were safe and were being evacuated in coordination with the Royal Navy of Oman.

What happened on the Settebello?

The Settebello strike resulted in the deaths of three Indian sailors, the first reported fatalities since the blockade began on April 13.

Centcom said a US aircraft carried out a precision strike on the vessel’s engine room “after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions from American forces”.

It said the Settebello “violated the ongoing blockade by attempting to transport oil from Iran”.

However, the vessel’s manager, IOS Marine FZE, disputed the US account.

The Settebello “holds no affiliation whatsoever with Iran or Iranian oil”, the company said in a statement posted on X by Forward Seamen’s Union of India.

The Omani Navy responded to the vessel’s distress call after it reported an engine fire and rescued 21 Indian sailors.

Family members of Shivanand Chaurasia, one of the sailors who died, told reporters he had gone to sea about nine months ago and had told his father earlier this week that everything was fine.

Indian Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal described the deaths as a “profound loss to our maritime family”.

How has India responded?

India has called for the attacks to stop.

“These attacks must cease and end,” foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters.

“We also call for dialogue and diplomacy so that we can have an early return to peace and stability in the region.”

Jaiswal said the US Navy had attacked three ships with Indian crews this week, including one on Thursday.

He also said the foreign ministry had summoned the US chargé d’affaires in New Delhi on Wednesday to convey its “deepest concerns over the ongoing attacks” after the strike on the Settebello.

India’s shipping ministry has also directed government agencies to remain alert for any contingency involving Indian seafarers or maritime interests.

The ministry said all Indian seafarers serving onboard Indian and foreign-flagged vessels transiting through conflict-affected waters should exercise the highest degree of caution and vigilance, citing the Directorate General of Shipping.

What does the US say?

Centcom has maintained that the vessels targeted during the blockade failed to comply with instructions from US forces.

As of Thursday, it said the blockade had disabled nine non-compliant vessels, redirected 135 others and allowed 42 vessels supporting humanitarian aid to pass.

Earlier on Thursday, it said the blockade had disabled eight non-compliant vessels, redirected 134 ships that complied and allowed 42 humanitarian vessels to pass.

Why does it matter?

The incidents have raised concerns about the safety of Indian seafarers working aboard international vessels in one of the world’s most important shipping corridors.

India has more than 300,000 sailors working in global shipping fleets, according to government data.

The attacks also come ahead of next week’s Group of Seven summit, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to hold bilateral talks with US President Donald Trump.

The issue has also drawn wider international concern.

“I strongly condemn any act from any party that endangers the lives of seafarers and the safety of international shipping. This is simply unacceptable,” Arsenio Dominguez, secretary-general of the UN’s shipping agency the International Maritime Organization, said on Wednesday.