Indian Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal confirmed today (Thursday) the death of three Indian sailors who were missing following a raid by U.S. forces on an oil tanker off the coast of Oman two days ago (Tuesday).

The Indian minister stated via the platform "X": "The bodies of the three sailors were found and identified after days of being missing on board the oil tanker (MT Settebello), which flies the Palauan flag," emphasizing that the incident represents a painful tragedy and a significant loss for the Indian maritime community.

For his part, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the victims' families and directed authorities to ensure the immediate evacuation of survivors and expedite the repatriation of the deceased's bodies to the country.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs summoned the American chargé d'affaires in New Delhi to deliver a strongly worded official protest, asserting that endangering the lives of Indian sailors in international waters is "unacceptable" and warrants accountability.

The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced yesterday that the targeted ship was en route to Iran, in violation of the U.S. maritime blockade imposed on its oil exports, explaining that the strike occurred after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with stop orders issued by U.S. forces while transiting the area.

The U.S. command stated that the operation was carried out on the evening of June 9 as part of a series of measures to enforce the maritime blockade, confirming that since April 13, it has disrupted eight vessels and directed 134 other ships to comply, while allowing the passage of 42 vessels carrying humanitarian aid.