UN maritime chief condemns US strike that killed Indian sailors in Gulf of Oman

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) chief Arsenio Dominguez has condemned the US strike on the tanker Settebello in the Gulf of Oman that killed three Indian crew members. India lodged a strong protest with the US Embassy, while the IMO called for a transparent investigation.

United Nations: International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez has condemned the US attack on a tanker in which three Indian crew members were killed.

The UN agency, IMO, is monitoring the situation closely and calls for a full and transparent investigation into the incident involving the tanker Settebello, he said in a statement.

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“I strongly condemn any act from any party that endangers the lives of seafarers and the safety of international shipping”, he said. “This is simply unacceptable”.

“My thoughts are with the families of the three seafarers who lost their lives and with all those awaiting news of the crew members”, he added.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has confirmed that 21 Indian sailors were rescued from the ship and three were killed .

Accusing the Setebello of transporting of transporting oil from Iran, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said that its aircraft “fired precision munitions into the ship’s engine” as it transited the Gulf of Oman on Tuesday.

IMO had said the attack on Setebello “resulted in a fire on board and three seafarers reported missing”.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency, which monitors shipping safety placed the attack about 20 nautical miles northeast of the Omani port of Sohar.

The CENTCOM released a video of the attack on X and said it was the second ship it “disabled” this week accusing them of violating the US blockade of Iranian ports.

The other tanker is the Marivex, which is also registered in Palau, a tiny island nation in the Western Pacific Ocean, and had an India crew.

Dominguez said, “All actions affecting international shipping must fully respect international law and the safety of life at sea. The protection of seafarers is a shared responsibility that must remain paramount”.

India called in the US Embassy’s Charge d’Affaires Jason Meeks to the Ministry of External Affairs where Additional Secretary Nagaraj Naidu, who is in charge of the Americas, conveyed India’s protest over the attack.

The ministry said earlier in a statement, “The targeting of commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure in the region must end”.

It was not known from where the Montebello was sailing or its destination.

Myshipfinder, one of the sites monitoring shipping, said Montebello was last recorded in May heading to Khorfakkan in the United Arab Emirates and that it was out of coverage.