Three Indians missing after attack on ship off Oman

Three Indians went missing after an attack on oil tanker Settebello, northeast of Sohar, Oman, on Wednesday (June 10, 2026), the External Affairs Ministry said. Twenty-one Indian seafarers were rescued from the vessel.

The attack was reported two days after U.S. “precision munition” hit oil tanker Marivex, off Oman, from which 24 Indian sailors were rescued.

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Condemning Wednesday’s incident, the Ministry said, “Our Embassy in Oman is closely monitoring the situation and proactively coordinating with the Omani authorities in the ongoing Search and Rescue operation.”

British maritime security group Ambrey “assessed” that the incident “was likely the result of U.S. operations to blockade Iranian ports”.

Maritime intelligence website Lloyd’s List said that the “tanker was one of many vessels waiting off Duqm (Oman) recently, reportedly held by the U.S. Navy.”

A Palau-flagged ship, Settebello, is a sanctioned vessel according to the blacklist of TankerTrackers.com.

United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations sent out an alert saying: “UKMTO has received a report of an incident 20NM northeast of Sohar, Oman. Local authorities have reported a tanker has experienced a fire in their engine room and are on the scene assisting with the evacuation of the crew. The vessel is reporting one casualty and two crew members missing. No environment impact reported. Authorities continue investigating.”

The government has not confirmed any death.

Reports quoted British maritime security company Vanguard Tech as saying that the ship had “transmitted a distress call stating that its engine room had been struck by a missile”.

The Forward Seamen Union of India posted on X, “24 Indian with 4 foreign Nationals again on MT Settebello? Again U.S.?”

The union has not been able to contact the seafarers, an office-bearer said.

The Ministry’s statement flagged the “continuing incidents of attacks on shipping in the region” as “deeply worrisome and a direct result of the ongoing conflict in the region.”

“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,” it said.

U.S. Centcom, which had confirmed the strike on Marivex, was yet to comment on the incident.