By Jonathan Saul and Nidhi Verma
LONDON/NEW DELHI, June 11 (Reuters) - A U.S. jet fired two missiles into the engine room of the tanker Jalveer off Oman on Thursday, U.S. Central Command confirmed, as authorities said the 20 crew members were safe after the third strike on Indian-crewed tankers this week.
Three Indian sailors died in a U.S. strike on the Settebello tanker off Oman a day earlier.
"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," Centcom said in a statement.
It said U.S. forces had "acted against" the Guinea-Bissau flagged tanker as it "attempted to transport oil from Iran through the Gulf of Oman".
An Indian shipping ministry official said the crew were safe and being evacuated in coordination with the Royal Navy of Oman.
Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters the "attacks must cease and end".
This is the third Indian-crewed tanker to be hit by U.S. forces this week after the Marivex oil tanker was disabled using precision munitions on Monday.
India has ordered government agencies to stay alert to respond to any contingency involving its seafarers or maritime interests, the shipping ministry said in a statement on Thursday.
All Indian seafarers serving onboard Indian and foreign-flagged vessels transiting through conflict-affected waters should exercise the highest degree of caution and vigilance, it said, citing regulator the Directorate General of Shipping.
The U.S. began a blockade of Iran-related shipping on April 13 after Iran severely curtailed shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a major global oil and gas route.
In each incident Centcom has said the crews failed to follow directions as U.S. forces enforced the blockade.
As of Thursday it said the blockade had disabled nine non-compliant vessels, redirected 135 others, and allowed 42 vessels supporting humanitarian aid to pass.
Ships being targeted include Iranian vessels as well as others carrying Iranian cargoes, including so-called shadow fleet tankers, which are typically older vessels without Western insurance used to transport sanctioned oil and sailing under the flags of various nations to obscure their true ownership, cargo and movements.
The Marivex was the only of the three tankers under U.S. sanctions.
(Reporting by Jonathan Saul, Nidhi Verma, Tanvi Mehta, Hritam Mukherjee and Saurabh Sharma; editing by Jason Neely)
