New Delhi summons US diplomat over Oman vessel attack: India govt source

India’s foreign ministry says three Indian crew members are missing after an attack on a commercial tanker off Oman

US and Indian flags are displayed ahead of a meeting between Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (not pictured) at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York City, US, September 22, 2025. Photo: Reuters/ File

India summoned the senior US diplomat in New Delhi on Wednesday to lodge a "strong protest" after an attack on a vessel off the coast of Oman left three Indian crewmembers missing.

The foreign ministry "summoned (US) charge d'affaires, lodged a strong protest" over the attack on the commercial vessel, a senior Indian government official told AFP.

Earlier, in a statement, India's foreign ministry confirmed that three Indian crew members were reported missing in an attack on a commercial tanker off Oman.

Read: Pezeshkian vows to stand firm against any pressure as Trump threatens to attack Iran 'very hard'

New Delhi condemned the attack on the vessel, the Settebello, saying, "the 24 Indian crew onboard, 21 Indians have been rescued thus far, and three Indians are reportedly missing".

"Attacks on shipping in the region are deeply worrisome and a direct result of the ongoing conflict in the region. We reiterate our call for immediate de-escalation," the foreign ministry added.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency also reported an incident 20 nautical miles northeast of Sohar in Oman, saying the vessel had reported one casualty and two crew members missing.

"Local authorities have reported a tanker has experienced a fire in their engine room and are on the scene assisting with the evacuation of the crew," it said.

British maritime security company Vanguard Tech said the Palau-flagged tanker Settebello had "transmitted a distress call stating that its engine room had been struck by a missile while operating off Sohar in the Gulf of Oman" and that there was a fire on board.

A critical waterway for global fuel supplies, the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf has been almost completely blocked since the start of the Middle East war, which began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February.

Talks during a fragile ceasefire in place since April have failed to deliver a deal to reopen the strait.