U.S. forces attacked a merchant ship carrying Indian seafarers for the third time in four days. Thursday’s (June 11, 2026) attack was on Guinea-Bissau flagged bitumen carrier Jalveer off the port of Shinas, Oman.
The vessel had 20 Indian seafarers, and they were safe, said Mukesh Mangal, Additional Secretary of the Ports, Shipping and Waterways Ministry. “As per the latest information, evacuation [of crew] to Shinas port has commenced,” Mr. Mangal said at an inter-ministerial briefing on Thursday (June 11, 2026).
On Wednesday (June 10, 2026), the External Affairs Ministry had summoned the U.S. Chargé d’affaires Jason Meeks and lodged a “strong protest” regarding the attacks.
On Thursday (June 11, 2026), the Ministry, while emphasising that the “attacks came from the U.S. Navy stationed there”, described the strikes as “deeply worrisome” but blamed them on the ongoing conflict between U.S.-Israel and Iran in the region.
U.S. Centcom has said in a statement that two Hellfire missiles were fired into Jalveer’s engine room after the “crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions from U.S. forces”. The ship was attacked for “attempting to transport Iranian oil.”
U.S. aircraft attacked Palau-flagged tankers Marivex and Settebello on Monday and Wednesday, respectively. Three Indian seafarers on Settebello died in the attack, which the Indian government confirmed on Thursday (June 11).
The three attacks have targeted the engine rooms of the ships and sometimes the steering compartment but above the waterline. This would render the ship without the means to move or manoeuver but not sink it.
The Directorate General of Shipping had issued an advisory mid-February asking seafarer recruiters and shipowners not to deploy seafarers on ships calling on Iranian ports. An official source said the crew onboard the three vessels had joined before the advisory was issued.
Three missing Indian seafarers onboard MT Settebello confirmed dead: Sonowal
Family members of seafarer Aditya Sharma (23), a deck cadet on Settebello who was among the dead, urged the government of Himachal Pradesh, where they live, and the Centre to get his body back to the native Galore village in Hamirpur so that his last rites could be performed. Sharma was planning to visit home in May but decided to extend his stay at the vessel for a month, they said.
The official spokesperson of the External Affairs Ministry Randhir Jaiswal said efforts are underway to bring the mortal remains of the dead to India at the earliest.
The attacks were condemned by various segments of the political class with both the Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) “strongly” condemning.
The Congress statement said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has “repeatedly showcased his personal rapport with President Donald Trump as a diplomatic achievement”, and added, “(Mr. Modi) cannot evade responsibility when that relationship fails to protect Indian lives and interests.”
The CPI (M) called the strikes “illegal U.S. attacks”. “The government must issue a strong condemnation and demand full accountability for the loss of Indian lives. It should intervene and pressurise the U.S. to stop its attacks in West Asia and withdraw the blockade near the Strait of Hormuz and ensure free navigation,” it said in its statement.
(Inputs from Kallol Bhattacherjee, M. Kalyanaraman and PTI)
Published - June 11, 2026 02:33 pm IST
Oman / war / unrest, conflicts and war / Iran / Israel / Israel-US strikes on Iran / West Asia
Source: The Hindu - India News
