New Delhi: India has reportedly summoned a US envoy on Wednesday to officially condemn an American attack on a Palau-flagged cargo ship off the Oman coast that left one Indian sailor dead and two others missing on Tuesday. Multiple media reports claimed the Ministry of External Affairs called the deputy chief of the United States mission in New Delhi to protest the US military’s attack on the vessel on Wednesday that had 24 Indian crew members on board.
Though the MEA did not put out an official statement or any social media post on the summoning of the US charge d’affaires, Jason Meeks, as the US ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, was away in Kazakhstan, reports said a senior Indian official met with the American diplomat to convey India’s views on the attack.
As RNA Media reported on Wednesday, one sailor was killed, and two went missing after the attack on Settebello. Omani authorities rescued the remaining 21 Indian sailors.
India protests attack on cargo vessel
In a statement on Wednesday, the external affairs ministry said it condemned the attack on the commercial vessel, Settebello, off the Oman coast, and the Indian embassy in Oman was closely monitoring the situation and proactively coordinating with the Omani authorities in the ongoing search and rescue operation.
“The continuing incidents of attacks on shipping in the region are deeply worrisome and a direct result of the ongoing conflict in the region. We reiterate our call for immediate de-escalation of tensions, and the conclusion of ongoing negotiations for a diplomatic solution so that peace and stability can return to the region,” the MEA statement, posted on its official website and on X, said.
“The targeting of commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure in the region must end, and free and unimpeded navigation and commerce through the international waterways in the region, in keeping with international law, must be restored at the earliest,” the statement from the MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. Earlier, in his weekly media briefing in New Delhi on Tuesday, Jaiswal said the vessel M/T Marivex had been “disabled” near the coast of Oman. “We have also received information that there was communication between the vessel and the United States Navy, prior to the incident,” he said.
The Palau-flagged India-operated vessel Marivex with 24 sailors was reportedly hit by a US Navy F/A-18 Hornet. All 24 sailors on Marivex were rescued, as RNA Media reported.
The US Central Command (Centcom) had said it carried out a “precision” strike on Settebello, as it transited the Gulf of Oman carrying Iranian oil. Centcom claimed the crew failed to comply with the US navy’s instructions. The vessel was reportedly carrying oil products when the US attack happened, and the engine room went up in flames, according to the UKMTO.
India expresses concerns at UNSC
Meanwhile, at the UN security council, India expressed “deep concern” over the attacks on merchant vessels in the Gulf region as part of the US-Iran conflict, informing the international body that several of its nationals had been either killed or were missing due to the attacks by the warring nations. India’s permanent representative to the UN and ambassador, Harish Parvathaneni, was addressing an open debate on “Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Advancing Political Solutions in the Middle East” at the UNSC.
“We expressed our deep concern at the conflict in Iran and the Gulf region that unfortunately began in the holy month of Ramadan and urged all sides to exercise restraint, avoid escalation, and prioritize the safety of civilians,” Parvathaneni said on Wednesday. He said India “firmly opposed” the attacks on merchant shipping, as many of its nations were prominent in its global workforce.
“Many Indian nationals have lost their lives or are missing as a result of the attacks against countries in the region and against merchant vessels as sea lanes of communication,” the ambassador said. He noted that there were almost 10 million Indian citizens who live and work in the Gulf region. He also underscored that their safety and well-being were of utmost priority for India.
International condemnation US attack
The International Maritime Organization’s secretary general, Arsenio Dominguez, on Wednesday, condemned “any act from any party that endangers the lives of seafarers and the safety of international shipping.” “This is simply unacceptable. My thoughts are with the families of the three missing seafarers and with all those awaiting news of the crew members,” Dominguez said.
The latest attack by the US navy on a cargo vessel transiting the Gulf region has brought into focus both the Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and the American naval blockade of Iranian ports, and the resultant casualties of seafarers and cargo vessels in the trading of attacks by the two warring nations. The waterways in the region are a key transit route for oil products from the Gulf region to other parts of the world, and India is one of the nations affected by the disruption in maritime traffic due to the West Asian war, raging for over four months now.
Since the latest West Asian war began on February 28, at least two Indian-flagged vessels and a few more India-bound cargo ships have come under attack, both from Iranian and American militaries. In the latest attack, Settebello was about 20 nautical miles northeast of Sohar in Oman, in waters close to the Strait of Hormuz.