Title: India Urges U.S. to Stop Attacks on Shipping After Sailor Deaths
NEW DELHI – India has called on the United States to cease its attacks on shipping following three incidents involving Indian-crewed tankers this week, one of which resulted in the tragic deaths of three sailors.
These fatalities mark the first reported since the U.S. began a blockade against Iran-linked shipping on April 13. Since then, U.S. forces have reportedly disabled eight vessels and redirected over 100 others.
Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal expressed serious concerns, stating, “These attacks must stop. We advocate for dialogue and diplomacy to restore peace and stability in the region.”
The U.S. Navy’s recent actions have included assaults on three ships with Indian crews, including a strike on the tanker Settebello, where three Indian sailors lost their lives. Following this incident, India formally summoned the U.S. chargé d’affaires in New Delhi to articulate its worries regarding the ongoing assaults.
The U.S. Central Command remarked that an aircraft conducted a precision strike on the Settebello’s engine room because the crew allegedly did not follow instructions from American forces. The command asserted that the ship attempted to transport oil from Iran, which violated the blockade.
However, IOS Marine FZE, the management company of the Settebello, contested these claims. They insisted the ship has no ties with Iran or its oil and called for an independent investigation.
After the attack, the Omani Navy responded to the Settebello’s emergency appeal, rescuing 21 Indian sailors. Family members of one of the deceased sailors, Shivanand Chaurasia, shared that he had been at sea for about nine months and reported everything was fine just days before his passing. Indian Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal referred to the loss of the sailors as a “deep sorrow for our maritime community,” highlighting that India has over 300,000 sailors in international fleets.
Amid these tensions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to meet U.S. President Donald Trump at the upcoming G7 summit, providing a platform to discuss these pressing issues.
In another instance, U.S. forces disabled the unladen Marivex oil tanker, which also had an Indian crew, when it attempted to head toward an Iranian port. The blockade primarily targets Iranian vessels and older ships transporting sanctioned oil under different flags to hide their ownership.
UN’s International Maritime Organization secretary-general Arsenio Dominguez condemned any actions that jeopardize the safety of seafarers and international shipping, calling such acts “unacceptable.”
