MEA summons US envoy, demands end to attacks in Gulf region; welfare of Indian seafarers paramount, says government
NEW DELHI, Jun 11: India on Thursday strongly protested attacks by the US military on merchant vessels carrying Indian crew members off the coast of Oman, following a series of incidents over the past four days that resulted in the death of three Indian seafarers.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it has taken up the matter forcefully with the United States and summoned US Charge d’Affaires Jason Meeks to convey India’s deep concern over the attacks.
The development marks the first public acknowledgement by the Indian government that merchant ships carrying Indian crew members were targeted by US naval forces operating in the region.
According to official details, a Palau-flagged oil tanker, Marivex, carrying 24 Indian seafarers, was disabled by US forces on June 8. All crew members aboard the vessel were rescued safely.
On June 10, another Palau-flagged tanker, Settebello, reportedly came under attack, resulting in the death of three Indian sailors among the 24 Indian crew members on board.
Addressing an inter-ministerial media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India had lodged a strong protest with the American side immediately after the attack on Settebello.
“We attach high importance to the welfare and well-being of our seafaring community. When this particular attack on the ship MT Settebello occurred, we lodged a strong protest with the American side,” Jaiswal said.
“We summoned the US Charge d’Affaires and conveyed our deepest concern over the ongoing incidents of attacks. We also registered our strong protest,” he added.
Emphasising India’s position, Jaiswal said such incidents must cease immediately.
“These attacks must stop. We further conveyed that dialogue and diplomacy is the way forward for the peaceful resolution of the conflict and that there should be unimpeded access through the Strait of Hormuz in accordance with international law,” he said.
He reiterated that the safety and welfare of Indian nationals remain the government’s foremost concern.
Jaiswal stated that the attacks were carried out by the US Navy stationed in the region and clarified that the vessels involved were foreign-flagged and not Indian-owned.
“The three ships involved in these incidents were foreign-flagged vessels. Two were Palau-flagged, while the third vessel was Guinea-Bissau-flagged,” he said.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) has confirmed strikes on Settebello and Marivex, though it has not yet commented on reports regarding a third vessel, Jalveer.
Mukesh Mangal, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, said evacuation of crew members from Jalveer has commenced.
He said all remaining crew members aboard Settebello — including 21 Indians, two Pakistanis, one Russian and one Ukrainian national — have been safely evacuated.
Mangal also announced that the Seamen Welfare Fund Society has been directed to provide an ex-gratia payment of Rs 10 lakh each to the families of the deceased Indian sailors.
Providing an update on Indian maritime personnel in the region, he said more than 18,000 Indian seafarers remain deployed in the Gulf region, including 562 crew members aboard 13 Indian-flagged ships. Of these, 329 are on vessels west of the Strait of Hormuz and 233 are operating in the Gulf of Oman.
The MEA further noted that two of the vessels involved in the incidents were subject to sanctions administered by the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), while another vessel had been categorised as non-compliant.
The incidents have heightened concerns over the safety of commercial shipping and seafarers in the strategically important Gulf region amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.
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