India has summoned the United States’ chargé d’affaires in New Delhi to lodge a formal protest after a US military strike on an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman left three Indian seafarers missing and two confirmed dead. The attack on the Palau-flagged Settebello, which was carrying 24 Indian crew members, marks the second such incident in three days and has sharply escalated diplomatic tensions between New Delhi and Washington. The Ministry of External Affairs described the strike as “deeply worrisome” and a direct consequence of the ongoing regional conflict, urging all parties to de-escalate and protect commercial shipping.

The US Central Command acknowledged targeting the vessel, stating that an aircraft fired precision munitions into its engine room after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions from American forces enforcing a blockade on Iran. The Settebello was accused of attempting to transport oil from Iran in violation of the blockade. British maritime security firm Vanguard Tech reported that the tanker had transmitted a distress call indicating a missile strike, a fire onboard, and at least one casualty. The Forward Seamen’s Union of India identified the deceased as deck cadet Aditya Sharma and engine fitter Shivanand Chaurasiya, with chief engineer Patnala Suresh still missing. Twenty-one crew members were rescued and are being assisted by Indian diplomatic missions in coordination with Omani authorities.

Viewed from New Delhi, the incident represents a dangerous spillover of the Iran crisis into the lives of Indian nationals, who constitute a significant portion of seafarers in the region. India’s protest, delivered by Additional Secretary (Americas) Nagaraj Naidu to US chargé d’affaires Jason Meeks, reiterated calls for the protection of civilian infrastructure and the restoration of safe navigation in international waters. The government has stressed that attacks on commercial vessels must cease and that a diplomatic resolution is urgently needed. Analysts in London note that the US blockade, which followed Tehran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, has created a volatile environment where commercial shipping is increasingly caught in the crossfire.

Looking ahead, the Settebello strike risks further straining US-India relations at a time when both countries have deepened strategic ties. While Washington views the blockade as a necessary measure to counter Iranian aggression, India’s dependence on Gulf energy supplies and its large diaspora in the region make it particularly vulnerable to such disruptions. The coming days will test whether diplomatic channels can prevent a repeat of these incidents, as the search for the missing chief engineer continues and the broader conflict shows no signs of abating.