- Indian seafarers near Iran claim they are targeted during recent US military strikes in the region
- Videos show distressed Indian crew saying only ships with Indian sailors are being attacked
- Three Indian sailors were killed in a US strike on a Palau-flagged oil tanker off Oman’s coast
Indian seafarers working on commercial ships near Iran and the Strait of Hormuz have sent out distress calls, claiming they are being targeted during recent US military strikes in the region.
Crew members have alleged that vessels carrying Indian sailors are being repeatedly hit. Videos circulating on social media show distressed Indian seafarers claiming they are stranded in the region and facing unsafe conditions amid ongoing attacks.
In the videos, crew members can be heard saying that "the situation is very bad" and that only ships with Indian seafarers are being targeted. navigation."
"We are in Iran and the situation here is very bad. Only Indian-crewed ships are being attacked. Why are we being dragged into someone else's fight? We are not military personnel. We are seafarers working on contracts. We are helping the economy, bringing oil and increasing business across the globe," one seafarer says in the viral clip.
He further questioned the attacks, saying Indian crew members are not trained for conflict.
"We are not soldiers. We come on contract to work. Then why are we being attacked? What is our fault?" he adds. He also mentions that he had previously worked on a ship that was recently attacked, an incident that claimed the lives of three Indian sailors.
He said, "On the ship that was attacked yesterday, I had worked on it. I spoke to the captain, and he said a missile has been fired in Oman."
Another seafarer said there are more than 1.3 million Indian seafarers, but their voices are going unheard.
Last week, an Indian crew aboard a sanctioned oil tanker named Marivex sent a distress message saying the ship was on fire and sinking after it was hit off the coast of Oman. They urged authorities to "please help", the BBC reported.
The US military carried out strikes on multiple Palau-flagged oil tankers near the coast of Oman that had Indian sailors on board. In one of these attacks, three Indian seafarers were killed, while another ship carrying 24 Indian crew members was also targeted, though its crew was later rescued.
"US Navy attack, the missile on our engine room. We have hole at the bottom... 24 crew. All crew Indian. Please help quickly," a crew member said in the message, as quoted by Al Jazeera.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said that a US F-18 fighter jet from the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln fired a precision missile at a ship's engine and steering systems. According to the US, the purpose was to disable the vessel because it was under sanctions and allegedly violating restrictions linked to Iranian ports.
Iran's foreign minister strongly condemned the attack, stating, "The international community must hold the United States accountable for its lawless conduct, which continues to threaten global peace and security while endangering the freedom of
