India demands end to US attacks on ships after three sailors killed

India summoned the US chargé d'affaires in New Delhi on Thursday and demanded an immediate halt to American strikes on commercial shipping, after three Indian sailors were killed in a US military strike on the tanker Settebello off the coast of Oman.

It was the third US attack on an Indian-crewed vessel in a single week. The deaths are the first reported since a US blockade on Iran-linked shipping began on April 13.

What happened to the Indian sailors killed in the US strike?

The US military's Central Command carried out a precision strike on the Settebello's engine room, saying the crew had repeatedly failed to comply with directions from American forces and that the vessel was attempting to transport Iranian oil. Three Indian sailors died. The Omani Navy rescued 21 other crew members after the ship reported an engine fire.

The Settebello's manager, IOS Marine FZE, rejected both claims. The company denied the vessel ignored warnings or was carrying Iranian crude, and called for a transparent international investigation. The Settebello "holds no affiliation whatsoever with Iran or Iranian oil," it said in a statement posted on X by the Forward Seamen's Union of India.

What has India said about the US attacks on ships?

Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi had summoned the US chargé d'affaires to convey its "deepest concerns over the ongoing attacks." Speaking to reporters, Jaiswal called for an immediate end to the strikes. "These attacks must cease and end," he said, adding that India was urging dialogue and diplomacy to restore peace and stability in the region.

Indian Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal described the deaths of the three sailors as a "profound loss to our maritime family." India has more than 300,000 sailors working in global shipping fleets, according to government data. Family members of Shivanand Chaurasia, one of the sailors who died, said he had spoken to his father earlier that week and told him everything was fine.

How does the US blockade work and who is being targeted?

The US blockade on Iran-linked shipping began on April 13. Since then, US forces have disabled eight vessels, redirected 134 ships that complied with directions, and allowed 42 vessels supporting humanitarian aid to pass. Ships targeted include Iranian vessels and so-called shadow fleet tankers, typically older vessels without Western insurance, used to transport sanctioned oil under the flags of various nations to obscure their ownership and cargo.

US forces also disabled the unladen oil tanker Marivex, which had an Indian crew, in the Gulf of Oman on Monday after it attempted to sail to an Iranian port. The US embassy did not respond to requests for comment on either incident.

What happens next as India and the US head into G7 talks?

The strikes come ahead of next week's Group of Seven summit, where Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to hold bilateral talks with US President Donald Trump. The diplomatic fallout from the Settebello strike is likely to feature in those discussions. The UN's shipping agency, the International Maritime Organization, also weighed in.

Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said on Wednesday: "I strongly condemn any act from any party that endangers the lives of seafarers and the safety of international shipping. This is simply unacceptable."