India has strongly condemned a series of attacks on tankers carrying Indian seafarers in the Gulf after the U.S. Central Command acknowledged firing two Hellfire missiles at the Guinea-Bissau flagged M/T Jalveer near Oman.
The incident marks the third attack this week involving a vessel with Indian crew members near Oman, raising fresh concerns over the safety of Indian seafarers operating in the Gulf and surrounding waters.
U.S. Central Command Confirms Strike On M/T Jalveer
In a post on X, the U.S. Central Command said, “U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) acted against Guinea-Bissau flagged M/T Jalveer as it attempted to transport oil from Iran through the Gulf of Oman. A U.S. aircraft fired two Hellfire missiles into the ship’s engine room after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions from U.S. forces.”
The command said its forces have disabled nine non-compliant vessels, redirected 135 ships that complied, and allowed 42 vessels carrying humanitarian aid to pass since the blockade began on April 13.
Iran’s Mehr news agency reported that five of the 20 crew members were rescued by passing vehicles and taken to Oman.
India Calls Attacks ‘Deeply Worrisome’
India’s External Affairs Ministry said Thursday that it strongly condemned the recent attacks on tankers manned by Indian seafarers. The ministry described the incidents as “deeply worrisome” and called for an immediate halt to such attacks.
“There have been several incidents involving Indian seafarers in West Asia in the last few days. We attach high importance to the welfare and well-being of our seafarers’ community. We need not re-emphasise this point,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Thursday.
Jaiswal said India had already protested another recent incident involving the death of Indian nationals.
“Yesterday, we condemned the attack on a ship off the coast of Oman in which, unfortunately, we lost three Indian nationals. We had summoned the US CDA here to register a strong protest. We expect the US to take due note of our protest,” Jaiswal added.
Third Indian-Crewed Vessel Hit Near Oman
M/T Jalveer is the third vessel with Indian crew members to come under attack near Oman in recent days. Three Indian crew members were reported missing after the Palau-flagged oil tanker Settebello was attacked by U.S. forces off Oman.
Earlier, on Monday, fire broke out aboard M/T Marivex, which was carrying 24 Indian seafarers south of the Strait of Hormuz, after it was attacked.
The latest incident adds pressure on India and the United States to address seafarer safety as tensions around shipping routes near Iran continue to escalate.
