Two Attacks In 3 Days: What We Know About Strikes On Tankers Carrying Indian Crew Off Oman

Two commercial vessels carrying Indian crew members have come under attack off the coast of Oman within three days.

The latest incident involved the tanker Settebello, where three Indian nationals remain missing, while an earlier strike on the tanker Marivex saw all 24 Indian crew members rescued safely.

Three Indians Missing In Latest Attack

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Wednesday said that three Indian crew members were missing and 21 others had been rescued after an attack on the commercial vessel Settebello off the coast of Oman.

The ministry condemned the attack and said the Indian Embassy in Oman was closely monitoring the situation while coordinating with Omani authorities in ongoing search and rescue efforts.

Our statement on the attack on a commercial vessel off the coast

of Oman ⬇️https://t.co/w405oJsHmZ pic.twitter.com/m0U3U81hQn

— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) June 10, 2026

Earlier, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency also reported an incident involving a tanker about 20 nautical miles northeast of Sohar, Oman. It said local authorities were assisting with the evacuation of the crew after a fire broke out in the vessel’s engine room.

UKMTO reported one casualty and two missing persons, though it did not identify the vessel involved.

UKMTO WARNING 066-26

Click here to view the full warning.⤵️https://t.co/Ab5vTx9m2n#MaritimeSecurity #MarSec pic.twitter.com/n9rUl0r3iY

— UKMTO Operations Centre (@UK_MTO) June 10, 2026

Was The Vessel Hit By US?

While neither the United States nor India has confirmed the cause of the latest attack, maritime security sources have pointed to a possible US operation.

British maritime security firm Ambrey told Reuters the incident was “likely the result of US operations to blockade Iranian ports”. A second maritime security source also told Reuters that the vessel was likely struck by a US missile.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) has not commented on the incident.

Marivex Incident Two Days Earlier

The latest attack came just two days after the Palau-flagged tanker MT Marivex, carrying 24 Indian seafarers, caught fire in the Gulf of Oman on Monday.

Omani authorities airlifted all crew members to safety. The Indian Embassy in Oman later confirmed that all 24 Indian nationals onboard had been rescued.

Images shared by maritime groups showed thick black smoke rising from the vessel as crew members were evacuated by helicopter.

US Admitted Striking Marivex

Unlike the latest incident, the US acknowledged responsibility for the strike on Marivex.

On Monday, CENTCOM said an F/A-18 Super Hornet launched from USS Abraham Lincoln fired a precision munition into the vessel’s engineering and steering spaces after it allegedly failed to comply with US directions and attempted to sail to an Iranian port despite the ongoing blockade.

According to CENTCOM, the vessel was disabled but not sunk.

The US had imposed a blockade on Iran-related shipping in April after Tehran sharply curtailed maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil and gas routes, following the outbreak of the war on February 28.

(With inputs from agencies)