India has summoned a US diplomat in New Delhi after three Indian crew members went missing in an attack on a vessel off Oman, before Washington said it had fired on a tanker accused of breaching its blockade of Iran.
Indian External Affairs Ministry sources told Anadolu on Wednesday that Jason Meeks, charge d'affaires of the US Embassy in New Delhi, was summoned to protest the attack on the ship.
Earlier on Wednesday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said US forces disabled an oil tanker late Tuesday after the vessel allegedly violated a maritime blockade by attempting to transport oil from Iran.
Later, India condemned the attack on the commercial vessel Settebello off the coast of Oman.
Earlier, in a statement, the Indian foreign ministry condemned the attack on the vessel saying: "Of the 24 Indian crew onboard, 21 Indians have been rescued thus far and three Indians are reportedly missing".
"Attacks on shipping in the region are deeply worrisome and a direct result of the ongoing conflict in the region. We reiterate our call for immediate de-escalation," it added.
Strait of Hormuz remains blocked
A critical waterway for global fuel supplies, the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf has been almost completely blocked since the start of the Middle East war, which began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February.
Talks during a fragile ceasefire in place over recent weeks have failed to deliver a deal to reopen the strait.
While Iran has blockaded the shipping lane since the war began, the US has also enforced its own competing blockade since April.
Earlier, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency reported an incident 20 nautical miles northeast of Sohar in Oman, saying the vessel had reported one casualty and two crew members missing.
"Local authorities have reported a tanker has experienced a fire in their engine room and are on the scene assisting with the evacuation of the crew," it said.
British maritime security firm Vanguard Tech said the tanker Settebello issued a distress call after its engine room was hit by a missile off Sohar in the Gulf of Oman, causing a fire onboard. Earlier, Omani authorities airlifted 24 Indian sailors from a burning tanker off the country's coast.
