US forces disabled the Palau-flagged tanker M/T Settebello in the Gulf of Oman at 11:14 p.m. on June 9 after the vessel allegedly failed to comply with American directions, according to U.S. Central Command.
A US aircraft fired “precision munitions into the ship’s engine room” as part of blockade enforcement against vessels attempting to transport oil from Iran, the command said. The incident took place 20 nautical miles northeast of Sohar, Oman, where local authorities assisted with the evacuation after an engine-room fire. The initial UKMTO warning listed one casualty and two crew members missing, with no environmental impact.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs identified the vessel as Settebello and said all 24 crew members onboard were Indian nationals. Twenty-one seafarers were rescued and three Indian crew members remained missing, with India’s embassy in Oman coordinating search and rescue efforts with Omani authorities.
The IMO placed the incident near the Strait of Hormuz and linked it to a projectile strike that caused a fire onboard. IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said any act endangering seafarers and international shipping was “simply unacceptable” and called for a full and transparent investigation.
CENTCOM put the wider blockade tally at eight non-compliant vessels disabled, 134 ships redirected after complying with US directions and 42 vessels carrying humanitarian aid allowed to pass since April 13. The IMO put the number of confirmed attacks on international shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz at 43 since February 28.