Three Indian seafarers were confirmed dead on Thursday after United States forces struck the Palau-flagged oil tanker MT Settebello off the coast of Oman on June 10, 2026. India’s Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, announced the deaths after the bodies of the missing crew members were located and identified. New Delhi’s foreign ministry summoned a senior US diplomat to lodge a formal protest.
The deceased have been named, according to The Week, as deck cadet Aditya Sharma from Himachal Pradesh, engine fitter Shivanand Chaurasiya, and chief engineer Patnala Suresh. The MT Settebello carried 24 Indian crew members at the time of the strike, of whom 21 were rescued and three were initially reported missing before their bodies were recovered.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said American forces fired “precise munitions” into the engine room of the MT Settebello after the vessel attempted to transport Iranian oil in violation of an ongoing blockade. CENTCOM said American forces warned the crew before firing on the ship.
Sonowal said the government stood “firmly with the bereaved during this difficult hour.” “I have directed officials to ensure immediate repatriation of the rescued crew members and swift return of the mortal remains of the deceased for their final rites,” he added.
The MT Settebello is the eighth merchant vessel disabled by US forces in regional waters since the blockade was imposed. The pace of enforcement has intensified sharply this week.
It was the second reported US attack on a merchant vessel with predominantly Indian crew within the same week. On June 8, Omani authorities airlifted 24 Indian sailors off the MT Marivex after a US strike on that Palau-flagged tanker. Images posted on social media by the Forward Seamen’s Union of India showed crew members being winched from the vessel by helicopter as thick black smoke billowed from its bridge and accommodation cabins.
India’s foreign ministry did not limit its response to a statement. It formally summoned a top US diplomat in New Delhi, a step that signals serious diplomatic displeasure between two countries that have otherwise cultivated close strategic ties in recent years.
The MT Settebello had 28 crew members in total. Beyond the 21 Indians, the vessel carried two Pakistanis, one Ukrainian, and one Russian. According to maritime intelligence website Lloyd’s List Intelligence, Settebello had been to China in April, unloaded cargo at Lianyungang Port from late April to early May, and departed Singapore on May 12.
Regional and Global Impact
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Navy announced Thursday that the Strait of Hormuz was closed to all vessel traffic until further notice — a declaration made on the same day India confirmed the sailors’ deaths. The closure, if enforced, would affect roughly 20 percent of global oil supply that transits the strait daily, according to the US Energy Information Administration.
For India, the situation carries particular weight. Indian seafarers make up one of the largest national workforces in global merchant shipping, and two confirmed US strikes on vessels with predominantly Indian crews in the span of four days has put New Delhi in a difficult position. The Indian government must respond firmly enough to satisfy domestic opinion while avoiding a rupture with Washington, a key defence and trade partner.
The strikes also reflect a broader US maritime enforcement campaign in the Gulf of Oman. The attack occurred as the ship attempted to breach a US naval blockade targeting Iranian ports — reportedly carrying Iranian crude oil. CENTCOM’s repeated invocation of prior warnings as justification for lethal force is now under direct challenge from a partner government.
Background
The current US naval blockade targeting Iranian oil shipments is part of the wider 2026 US-Iran military confrontation, which has seen American forces strike targets in Iran and Iranian forces respond across the region. The Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz have emerged as key chokepoints in that contest. Merchant vessels flagged to third countries — in both the Settebello and Marivex cases, Palau — have repeatedly been caught in the enforcement action. India has not taken a formal position on the US-Iran conflict but has significant economic and labour interests at stake in the waterway. New Delhi’s summoning of the US envoy over the Settebello strike follows a parallel démarche it issued after the June 8 attack on the Marivex.
What Happens Next
Sonowal directed Indian officials to begin immediate repatriation of the 21 surviving crew members and to facilitate the return of the three sailors’ remains for funeral rites. India’s foreign ministry is expected to seek a formal US explanation for both strikes, following the envoy summoning on Thursday. CENTCOM has not indicated any change to its enforcement posture. Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, declared the same day, is expected to further complicate vessel movements in the region. The Indian government has stated it is “fully committed to supporting the next of kin” of the deceased sailors, according to Sonowal’s statement.
