India summons US envoy over attack on ship with Indian sailors off Oman

The Diplomatic Fallout

India has summoned a senior US diplomat after US forces fired on a Palau-flagged vessel with 24 Indian sailors on board off the coast of Oman, leaving three Indian seafarers missing.

The Incident Details

The US military's Central Command (CENTCOM) said it carried out a "precision" strike on a vessel, the Settebello, as it transited the Gulf of Oman transporting Iranian oil on Tuesday evening, claiming the crew failed to comply with instructions from US forces.

• The ship was a chemical/oil products tanker which reported an engine room fire 20 nautical miles (about 37km) northeast of Oman's port of Sohar.
• The Omani navy responded to the Settebello distress call.

The Humanitarian Impact

Twenty-one Indian sailors have been rescued and three remain missing, India's Foreign Ministry said, condemning the violence and calling for an end to attacks on commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure in the region.

The Regional Implications

The incident has intensified legal and ethical questions surrounding the US naval blockade of Iran, which has negatively affected Washington's allies. It could also further damage India-US ties, which experts say are already at their lowest point in decades.

The Future Outlook

The Indian government was under mounting pressure from the opposition to publicly challenge the US over the strike, after it failed to protest against a separate attack by US forces on a vessel carrying Indian sailors earlier this week.