‘Armed theft, maritime piracy’: Iran condemns US attacks on Indian-crewed ships off Oman
Iran has condemned attacks carried out by the United States earlier this week on three merchant vessels carrying Indian crew members off the coast of Oman, saying the American “maritime piracy” poses a serious threat to international shipping.
In a message on Friday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei shared a report published by an Indian newspaper detailing the three US assaults, one of which killed three Indian seafarers.
“The brutal US attacks on Indian commercial vessels, which have led to the killing of at least three Indian nationals, are the outcome of the US government’s policy of armed theft and maritime piracy,” Baghaei said.
He also expressed condolences to the families and friends of the deceased sailors and extended sympathy to the Indian people and government over the incident.
“The international community must hold the United States accountable for its unlawful behavior, which constitutes a threat to global peace and security and jeopardizes the freedom of navigation,” he added.
On June 8, a US fighter jet targeted the Palau-flagged oil tanker, Marivex, carrying 24 Indian seafarers. All crew members were safely rescued.
Two days later, the US struck another Palau-flagged tanker, Settebello, killing three out of its 24 Indian sailors.
On June 11, a third vessel, Jalveer, a Guinea-Bissau-flagged tanker with 20 Indians on board, came under a US attack. Washington alleged that the vessel had attempted to transport oil from Iran and that it had not followed instructions.
The Indian government condemned the illegal US attacks and summoned a senior American diplomat.
“These attacks must cease and end,” the foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. “We also call for dialogue and diplomacy so that we can have an early return to peace and stability in the region.”
The unlawful US-Israeli aggression on Iran began on February 28, but it came to a halt forty days later under a Pakistan-brokered ceasefire amid Iran’s successful retaliatory strikes as well as its restriction of transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
On April 13, the US imposed an inhumane “naval blockade” of Iran after the failure of Tehran-Washington negotiations.
Since then, US forces have incapacitated at least eight vessels and rerouted 134 others, according to the US Central Command (CENTCOM).
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