Indian seafarers rescued after US strike on sanctioned tanker off Oman VIDEO

Twenty-four Indian seafarers were rescued from the tanker Marivex off the south-eastern coast of Oman on June 8 following a U.S. military strike on the vessel, according to maritime union officials.

The ship, which had been sanctioned by the United States over alleged links to Iran, came under fire after being intercepted in the Gulf of Oman. Audio messages sent by crew members to an official of the Forward Seamen’s Union of India (FSUI) described an attack on the vessel’s engine room and warned that the ship was sinking, Caliber.Az reports per Indian media. 

“This is Motor Tanker Marivex. Fire on board. Vessel is sinking. U.S. Navy attacked with missile our engine room. We have a hole at the bottom,” one distress message said, according to FSUI general secretary Manoj Yadav, who received the recordings around 2 p.m. IST.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed it had carried out an operation against the tanker, stating that U.S. forces disabled the vessel after it allegedly attempted to sail to an Iranian port in violation of ongoing restrictions. It said an F/A-18 Super Hornet launched from the USS Abraham Lincoln struck the ship’s engineering and steering compartments after the crew failed to comply with instructions.

“Marivex is no longer sailing to Iran,” CENTCOM said in its statement.

The seafarers also reported that a nearby U.S. warship did not provide assistance following the strike, and that there was no immediate response from the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC). Video footage shared with FSUI appears to show a crew member pointing toward a nearby naval vessel.

FSUI later confirmed that all 24 Indian crew members were safely evacuated and are currently on Masirah Island in Oman.

By Sabina Mammadli