India Flags Second Tanker Incident Off Oman Within 24 Hours
India reported on Thursday a new incident with a tanker off the coast of Oman amid escalating U.S.-Iran tensions in the area, following the death of three Indian seafarers in a U.S. hit on another vessel earlier this week.
"We have learnt of an incident involving a vessel off Shinas port of Oman, earlier today," the Indian Embassy in Oman said on social media in the morning local time on Thursday.
"We are closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with the local authorities for further details," said the embassy.
The Muscat Daily news outlet reported that "Authorities are responding to a fire reported on the tanker MT Jalveer near Shinas, Oman."
The daily noted in an X post that the Indian Embassy "is coordinating with local officials to confirm the crew's safety status."
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a Royal Navy-sponsored organization, said today it had received a report of an incident 21 nautical miles northeast of Sohar, Oman. Local authorities have reported a tanker has experienced a fire in the engine room. As authorities continue to investigate, no environmental impact has been reported, UKMTO said.
The fresh incident with a tanker offshore Oman comes a day after a U.S. precision ammunition strike at a non-compliant vessel trying to breach the U.S. blockade left three Indian sailors missing.
The seafarers on Thursday were confirmed dead by Sarbananda Sonowal, India's Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, who described the hit on the Palau-flagged MT Settebello as a "tragic incident."
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said it had disabled late on Tuesday the Settebello tanker as it transited the Gulf of Oman. A U.S. aircraft fired precision munitions into the ship's engine room after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions from American forces, CENTCOM said.
The attack on the tanker drew condemnation from Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
"I strongly condemn any act from any party that endangers the lives of seafarers and the safety of international shipping. This is simply unacceptable," Dominguez said on Wednesday.
By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com
U.S. Forces Disable Third Tanker This Week Off Oman with Indian Crew
U.S. forces reported that they have disabled a third tanker off Oman, accused of violating the blockade of Iran. The attack, which drew further condemnation and assertions of misleading information from CENTCOM on the attack, came as Donald Trump has grown frustrated with the Iranians and increased the threats of future actions.
The attack, which CENTCOM said took place Thursday morning, June 11, in the Gulf of Oman, fired two Hellfire missiles into the engine room of the asphalt/bitumen tanker Jalveer (6,395 dwt). Pictures showed smoke rising from the ship with reports of a fire. Twenty Indian crewmembers were evacuated without serious injuries.
UKMTO places the vessel approximately 21 nautical miles northeast of Sohar, Oman. It is registered in Guinea-Bissau and managed from India. Centcom is asserting the vessel violated the blockade by attempting to transport Iranian oil and that the crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions from U.S. forces.
India’s government reportedly immediately summoned the U.S. chargé d’affaires in New Delhi and filed a strong protest. The Foreign Ministry said, “These attacks must cease and end,” while calling for increased diplomacy.
At the same time, the Shipping Ministry provided additional details on the attack yesterday on the Settebello. It confirmed that three Indian seafarers initially reported as missing are now confirmed as deceased. Their bodies were located, and they have been identified. The Forward Seaman’s Union of India reported it was the chief engineer, an engine fitter, and a deck cadet who were killed.
The union issues a long statement calling the reports coming from CENTCOM a “pretext of violations.” It said the three attacks this week have “created deep anxiety among Indian seafarers.” The union is demanding “immediate strengthening of naval protection and security arrangements for merchant vessels carrying Indian seafarers in high-risk waters.”
A company called ISO Marine – F.Z.E. issued statements it said were on behalf of the managers of the Settebello, “rejecting claims” that the vessel “ignored warning calls, communications, or instructions.” Some reports assert the vessel was at anchor when it was attacked yesterday. They asserted the tanker “holds no affiliation whatsoever with Iran or Iranian oil” and that it was “engaged in legitimate commercial operations.”
Past tracking data, as well as reports from the NGO UANI (United Against Nuclear Iran), however, have tracked the vessel transporting Iranian oil in the past. It was also noted that neither the Settebello nor the Jalveer has been sanctioned.
CENTCOM reported a total of nine non-combatant vessels disabled while saying 135 ships had complied and been redirected. It states the blockade is being enforced “impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas.” It asserts the Marivex, which was struck on Monday, violated the blockade by attempting to sail to an Iranian port, while Settebello, it says, attempted to transport Iranian oil.
Donald Trump yesterday posted a message about the effectiveness of the blockade, asserting that no ships were getting through. Today, he returned to social media, saying that the United States “will be hitting Iran very hard tonight.” Yesterday, he said the Iranians were not negotiating in good faith and kept changing and delaying their responses. Today, Trump wrote on social media, “At some point in the not too distant future, we will be taking Kharg Island, and other oil infrastructure points, and assume total control of their oil and gas markets,” as his latest economic threat against Iran.
Iran has responded by launching missiles, which it says were aimed at U.S. bases in the Gulf countries. After Trump wrote that the U.S. had been sneaking tankers out of the Persian Gulf at night, Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz is closed to all vessels.
Later in the day, Donald Trump posted a new message on social media saying he had called off the strikes as a peace deal appeared to be at hand. He wrote that discussions and final points had been, in both concept and great detail, approved by all parties involved, and that further details would be announced shortly.
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