24 Indian crew rescued from tanker hit by US missile off Oman coast

India thanked Oman for rescuing 24 Indian crew members from the tanker MT Marivex. The vessel was disabled by a US Navy missile off the coast of Oman for allegedly violating a US-led blockade against Iran. All crew members are reported safe.

India is "grateful" to the Omani government for its excellent support in rescuing the 24 Indian crew members from the Palau-flagged tanker, MT Marivex, that caught fire after it was attacked by the US Navy off the coast of Oman, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said here on Tuesday.

The vessel caught fire after it was hit by the US missile on Monday. "Our embassy, for the rescue purpose, contacted the Omani authorities, who swung into action. We are grateful to the Omani government for its excellent support in rescuing the crew and ensuring their safety. Our mission continues to be in touch with the seafarers," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

Addressing the weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Jaiswal said there was communication between the crew of MT Marivex, and the US Navy before the vessel was disabled by the American forces off the coast of Oman, while confirming that all Indian crew members onboard were rescued safely. "The ship MT Marivex was disabled off the coast of Oman. We have learned that it is a Palau-flagged vessel. We also understand there was some exchange of communication between the ship and the US Navy before the incident. There were 24 crew members on board the ship, all of them being Indian nationals. They all have been rescued and are safe," Jaiswal said.

US Justifies Disabling Tanker

The MEA remarks came a day after the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that US forces had disabled MT Marivex in the Gulf of Oman on June 8. According to a statement issued by CENTCOM, the Palau-flagged oil tanker was allegedly attempting to sail toward an Iranian port in violation of the US-led blockade against Iran, and was hit after the "crew failed to comply with directions from US forces."

"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 U.S. Forces," the statement read. CENTCOM said the vessel was disabled while transiting international waters in the Gulf of Oman and was no longer proceeding toward Iran.

Earlier, sources had said the tanker was sanctioned by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). The vessel allegedly made multiple attempts to evade the US blockade in the Strait of Hormuz and had switched off its signal devices during its latest transit.

Indian Embassy Thanks Omani Authorities

Despite the incident, all 24 Indian nationals aboard the vessel were rescued safely with the assistance of Omani authorities. The Indian Embassy in Muscat on Monday also thanked Oman's authorities for their swift response in rescuing the crew members and ensuring their safety. The rescue operation followed reports of an incident involving MT Marivex south of the Strait of Hormuz.

"We are thankful to the Omani authorities for their swift response and rescue of all the 24 crew members of Indian nationality onboard MT Marivex, and ensuring their safety," the Embassy of India in Muscat said in a post on X. (ANI)

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