Three Indian sailors killed in US strike on tanker in Gulf of Oman
India's Foreign Ministry has confirmed three Indian sailors were killed in a US Navy strike on an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar requested an urgent meeting and New Delhi delivered a formal protest note.
According to BBC News reporter Salman Ravi, the Liberian-flagged MT Cyrene tanker was struck at around 03:40 on 11 June. Of 23 crew, 17 were Indian. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed the three dead as Kerala sailor Anish Kuriakose, Andhra Pradesh sailor Suresh Reddy and Maharashtra sailor Ramesh Bhise.
US CENTCOM said a vessel linked to Houthi shipping was the target. Greek owner Capital Maritime stated the tanker carried Saudi crude, not Iranian, and that insurance documents matched the AIS track. The US Navy said on Tuesday evening it "is assessing the possibility of an error."
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened the national security council; Jaishankar spoke late at night with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. US Ambassador to New Delhi Eric Garcetti delivered condolences at the Foreign Ministry. Mumbai's stock exchange fell 0.8% intra-day. This is not investment advice.
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