India has lodged a strong protest with the United States after three Indian seafarers were killed in an attack on the Palau-flagged oil tanker MT Settebello off the coast of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz.
The ministry of external affairs has also reiterated its call for dialogue and diplomacy to restore peace and stability in the region.
Addressing a news conference, ministry of external affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “I had said that 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. We summoned the US Chargé d'Affaires and conveyed our deepest concern over the ongoing incidents of attacks. We also registered our strong protest with them.
We emphasised that the welfare of our seafaring community is of utmost importance and that these attacks must stop. We further conveyed that dialogue and diplomacy are 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. Therefore, we made our position very clear on each of these points, while reiterating how important the lives, welfare, and safety of our people are.”
The attack on MT Settebello is among a series of recent incidents involving vessels carrying Indian crew members in West Asia.
Jaiswal said the vessels targeted in the recent attacks were foreign-flagged and not Indian-owned. He said two of the ships were Palau-flagged, while the third vessel that came under attack was Guinea-flagged.
He added, “These attacks came from the US Navy stationed in the region, as reflected in various reports and as clarified through statements made from this podium. The three ships involved in these incidents were foreign-flagged vessels. Two of them were Palau-flagged, while the third ship, which came under attack today, was Guinea-flagged. They were not Indian-owned ships; all of them were foreign-flagged vessels.”
Expressing concern over the security situation in the region, Jaiswal said, “We have seen several incidents involving Indian seafarers in West Asia over the last few days. We attach the highest importance to the welfare and well-being of our seafaring community, and there is no need to re-emphasise this point. Yesterday, we condemned the attack on a ship off the coast of Oman in which, unfortunately, three Indian nationals lost their lives. We had summoned the US Chargé d'Affaires to register a strong protest. The continuing attacks on shipping in the region are deeply worrisome and are a direct consequence of the ongoing conflict there. These attacks must cease, and we reiterate our call for dialogue and diplomacy to ensure an early return to peace and stability in the region.”
US Central Command (Centcom) has confirmed strikes on Settebello and Marivex but is yet to comment on reported strikes on Jalveer.
Mukesh Mangal, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, said evacuation of the seafarers on Jalveer has commenced.
From Settebello, all the remaining 25 crew members including 21 Indians, two Pakistani, one Russian and one Ukranian have been safely evacuated, he said, adding the Seamen Welfare Fund Society has been asked to pay Rs 10 lakh to family of each deceased.
He said more than 18,000 Indian seafarers remained in the Gulf region, including 562 crew members aboard 13 Indian-flagged ships - 329 on vessels on the west of Strait of Hormuz and 233 on vessels in Gulf of Oman.
Jaiswal said two of the three vessels were subject to sanctions administered by the US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), while another had been classified as non-compliant.
The US military on Wednesday said an American aircraft fired "precision munitions" at the engine room of the Palau-flagged oil tanker MT Settebello after it allegedly attempted to breach a naval blockade while carrying a shipment of Iranian oil.
According to the US military, the vessel was disabled in the operation, marking the eighth merchant ship targeted by American forces in waters off Iran. US Central Command spokesperson Hawkins said American forces had warned the crew before opening fire on the vessel.
India has repeatedly expressed concern over the safety of its seafarers operating in the conflict-hit West Asia region and has called for unhindered maritime movement through the Strait of Hormuz in accordance with international law.