US warplane strikes, disables oil tanker near Oman; crew of 24 Indians evacuated

24 Indian seafarers aboard a vessel reportedly attacked off the coast of Oman (image credit X))

An unladen oil tanker, MT Marivex, with 24 Indian crew members, was disabled and later caught fire in the Gulf of Oman on Monday following US military action, according to officials.The US military said an F/A-18 Super Hornet fired a precision munition at the vessel after it allegedly violated a blockade of Iran’s ports and ignored directions from US forces. "US forces disabled an unladen oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman, June 8, after the vessel violated the ongoing blockade against Iran by attempting to sail to an Iranian port."Further revealing the details it added, "US Central Command (CENTCOM) disabled Palau-flagged M/T Marivex as it transited international waters in the Gulf of Oman toward Iran.

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. Marivex is no longer sailing to Iran."

Meanwhile, Indian officials, while not acknowledging the US warplane hit, said all 24 Indian seafarers on board were safely evacuated with the help of Omani authorities, as per ANI sources.

A shipping ministry official further said the vessel was not Indian-owned and was reportedly blacklisted by US OFAC. Sources said the ship had made multiple attempts in recent days to evade US naval warnings, including switching off tracking signals and entering Omani waters after which it was "disabled".On June 8, the ship made another attempt to run past the blockade by using Omani territorial waters. It switched off its signal devices to go undetected.

“⁠This pattern makes it clear that its intention was not above board. The ship was in an unladen state when it was disabled,” said a source on condition of anonymity.India’s Embassy in Muscat confirmed the safe evacuation of all crew members and thanked Omani authorities for their swift response. Investigations into the incident are ongoing.Meanwhile, earlier in the day, the Forward Seamen's Union of India (FSUI) had sought urgent assistance for the 24 Indian seafarers aboard the vessel, amid heightened tensions in the region linked to the Israel-Iran conflict. At the time, the cause was not known.