On Wednesday morning, the M/T Settebello was transiting the Sea of Oman, laden with Iranian oil, when a US aircraft fired precision munitions into its engine room –– causing a fire, sending smoke billowing into the air, and sparking a large rescue operation.
The three men found dead following the attack on the Palau-flagged vessel are the first seafarers confirmed to have been killed in a US strike as part of Washington’s operation to blockade Iranian ports, raising concerns in India that its nationals are becoming collateral damage in a war that isn’t their own.