India Condemns US Strike That Killed Three Sailors in Gulf of Oman

The Forward Seamen's Union of India identified the victims as Aditya Sharma, Shivanand Chaurasia, and Patanala Suresh. General Secretary Manoj Yadav described the incident as a gruesome consequence of regional conflicts, emphasizing that seafarers are increasingly caught in the crossfire of geopolitical disputes. India’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, confirmed that New Delhi has registered a formal protest with US diplomats, calling for an immediate cessation of such attacks and a return to diplomatic engagement.

CENTCOM officials acknowledged disabling three oil tankers this week, alleging the vessels were attempting to circumvent a blockade on Iran. While the US military claims the Settebello ignored warnings, the statement omitted any mention of the fatalities reported by the crew. Brian Finucane of the International Crisis Group characterized the strike as part of a broader, destabilizing campaign against Iran, noting that the incident highlights the mounting human toll of the ongoing maritime blockade.