The Indian government condemned the US Navy's attack on a vessel off the coast of Oman on June 9, 2026, which resulted in the deaths of three Indian nationals. The condemnation was issued following the summoning of the US Charge d'Affaires to formally protest the strikes on two foreign-flagged vessels carrying Indian sailors.
On the same day, another tanker with Indian crew members was hit by US Hellfire missiles off the Omani coast. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal expressed concern over the ongoing attacks on commercial shipping in the region and urged all parties to engage in dialogue and diplomacy.
"We condemn the attack on a ship off the coast of Oman in which, unfortunately, we lost three Indian nationals. We had summoned the US Charge d'Affaires here to register a strong protest," Jaiswal stated. He noted that the attacks are a direct result of the ongoing conflict in the region and called for an end to such incidents.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that the latest incident involved the Guinea-Bissau-flagged MT Jalveer, which was disabled after allegedly attempting to transport Iranian oil in violation of the US-enforced naval blockade on Iran. CENTCOM stated that it had disabled nine non-compliant vessels since the blockade began on April 13, 2026.
All crew members aboard the MT Jalveer were reported safe, and the Indian government is coordinating with relevant authorities to ensure the safety and welfare of Indian seafarers in the Gulf region, where over 18,000 Indian seafarers are currently deployed.