New Delhi: The ship which came under attack off Oman’s coast on Monday was attacked by US forces.
The United States military has confirmed targeting an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman, with 24 Indian crew members aboard, who were safely evacuated.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it fired a missile at the MT Marivex because it attempted to sail to an Iranian port in violation of an ongoing naval blockade against Iran.
“An F/A-18 Super Hornet from USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) fired a precision munition into the ship’s engineering and steering spaces after the crew failed to comply with directions from US forces. Marivex is no longer sailing to Iran,” CENTCOM said in a statement.
The US further stated that it has so far disabled seven non-compliant vessels, redirected 134 ships that complied and allowed 42 vessels supporting humanitarian aid to pass since initiating the blockade on April 13.
The MT Marivex was sailing in waters close to the Strait of Hormuz when it was hit by a projectile off the Omani coast. A fire was reported on board through an SOS signal, after which Indian embassy coordinated with Omani authorities to arrange for the rescue of Indian sailors from the ship.
“We understand that there was some exchange of communication between the ship and the US Navy before the incident,” said Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.
“There were 24 crew members onboard the ship, all being Indian nationals. All of them have been rescued. Our Embassy coordinated with the Omani authorities for their rescue. We thank the Oman government for their support in rescuing the crew and ensuring their safety,” Jaiswal added.
The Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway through which one-fifth of global crude oil passes, has remained blocked since the US and Israel started the war against Iran on February 28.
As Iran let only a few ships from ‘friendly’ countries pass through the Strait, the US decided to enforce its own blockade around Iranian ports in an effort to pressure Tehran into opening the vital waterway.
