editor_nz
Three Indian seafarers were killed after being struck by oil tanker 60 times before, according to the U.S. state department.
The killing of three Indian sailors in an American military raid on an oil tanker off the coast of Oman has taken a new twist with the US government stating that the ship was being warned almost 60 times before being struck.
The US authorities state that the oil tanker MT Settebello was repeatedly ignoring radio warnings and not following instructions from the US Navy. In an attempt to disable the ship, American forces attacked it with a precision strike designed to target its engine room. The clash has occurred at the backdrop of growing tensions between the U.S. and Iran in West Asia and has led India to raise its strong diplomatic pitch with Washington.
The MT Settebello (which was flying the flag of the Republic of Palau) was suspected of carrying Iranian oil in contravention of US naval and oil sanctions.
The US account states that the tanker was hit by almost 60 radio warnings to halt. Otherwise, fighter planes were said to have flown low over the ship, warning flares were dropped and the crew reiterated instructions many times. US forces reportedly conducted a precision strike on the engine room to disable the ship, after it did not respond.
The crew was also warned that it had 15 minutes to evacuate the engine room before the strike was launched, US officials say. Regardless of these precautions, the attack took the lives of three Indian seafarers, and fortunately, 21 Indian crew members were saved.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) has long been convinced that MT Settebello was a component of Iran’s alleged “shadow fleet,” which has been used to smuggle Iranian oil past international sanctions.
The company in charge of the ship, however, has vehemently denied the claim. It has said it had nothing to do with Iran and has urged an independent international investigation into the incident.
India Expresses Severe Dissent. India raises its voice in protest. The Government of India invited a top-ranking American official to New Delhi after the strike to make the concerns official.
The Ministry of External Affairs said the security of the Indian seafarers is the primary concern and advised the United States to immediately stop military attacks on merchant ships. India also reiterated that the current crisis in the West Asian region should be addressed via diplomacy and dialogue, rather than through military means.
It was the third merchant vessel to be struck in days.It was the third merchant vessel to be hit in days.
The incident has added fuel to the fire as it is the third merchant ship with Indian personnel in its crew that has been targeted by the US military in just a few days.
The repeated attacks have raised questions about the safety of the Indian seafarers operating in the conflict zones in the sea and about the overall security of the global shipping routes. India is one of the world’s biggest providers of personnel for commercial ships that ply the sea of international waters with thousands of Indian merchant navy personnel serving aboard the ships.
The US contends the action was taken after warnings and a chance to comply were given repeatedly, but India and the ship’s operators are demanding an impartial inquiry into the events that led to the attack.
There are some things that are still unknown. If they had warned the tanker almost 60 times, why didn’t it comply? Was there a technical glitch, a communication error, or was there a difference between the American perspective of what happened and what actually happened?
The solutions will probably only come about after a comprehensive investigation. For the time being, the incident has posed a delicate diplomatic dilemma for India and the United States, and further fueled worries about the safety of Indian sailors in the increasingly turbulent waters of the world.
