Seafarers from India working on commercial vessels near Iran and the Strait of Hormuz have issued distress appeals, alleging that ships carrying crews from India are being struck during US military operations around the Gulf of Oman.
The claims, circulated through videos and audio messages on social media, have intensified alarm after three crew members were killed on the Palau-flagged tanker MT Settebello off Oman. The seafarers in the clips describe unsafe conditions, fear of further strikes and a sense that civilian crews are being pulled into a military confrontation over Iran-linked shipping. Their central allegation — that ships with crews from India are being singled out — has not been independently established by official findings.
The confirmed sequence is serious enough to have triggered diplomatic and regulatory action. Three commercial tankers carrying crew from India — Marivex, Settebello and Jalveer — were struck by US forces within days. The Settebello incident proved fatal. Of the 24 crew members on board, 21 were rescued and three were later confirmed dead. They were identified as chief engineer Patnala Suresh, deck cadet Aditya Sharma and fitter Shivanand Chaurashiya.
New Delhi has lodged a strong protest with Washington and urged an end to attacks on commercial shipping. Foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the strikes “must cease and end” and called for dialogue and diplomacy to restore stability. The protest followed confirmation that the attacks came from US forces enforcing a blockade against Iran-linked shipping.
US Central Command has maintained that its operations are aimed at vessels accused of violating the blockade around Iranian ports and coastal areas, not at crews of any nationality. It said the Jalveer, sailing under a Guinea-Bissau flag, was disabled after repeatedly failing to comply with US directions while attempting to transport oil from Iran. It said earlier strikes had disabled Palau-flagged Marivex and Settebello, alleging the former was sailing towards an Iranian port and the latter was transporting Iranian oil.
The distinction has done little to calm maritime workers. In one widely shared distress message from the Marivex, a crew member said the ship was on fire and sinking after a missile hit the engine room. All 24 crew members on that vessel were rescued with Omani assistance. The Jalveer’s 20 crew members were also reported safe after evacuation. The fatalities on the Settebello, however, have sharpened questions over warning procedures, proportionality and protection of merchant crews in a crowded conflict zone.
The Directorate General of Shipping has advised maritime recruitment and placement agencies to restrict deployment of seafarers to conflict areas until further orders. Masters of vessels operating in or transiting the Gulf region, including the Strait of Hormuz and adjoining waters, have been told to maintain heightened vigilance, monitor navigational warnings and implement ship-security procedures. Earlier advisories had already urged caution for vessels calling at Iranian ports or passing through the strait.
The crisis has exposed the vulnerability of crews from India in the global shipping labour market. The country supplies a significant share of the world’s seafaring workforce, with more than 300,000 personnel serving on domestic and foreign-flagged vessels. Many are employed on ships registered in third countries and managed through complex ownership structures, leaving them exposed when sanctions enforcement, shadow-fleet operations and military interdiction overlap.
The International Maritime Organization has warned that seafarers, civilian ships and freedom of navigation must be protected, calling for a safe-passage framework for vessels trapped in the Gulf region. Its council has urged states to ensure food, water, fuel, communications and crew-change support for ships unable to leave the area. Maritime-security specialists say fatigue, unclear command instructions, jamming of navigation systems and fear of being misidentified are compounding risks for crews.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most sensitive shipping corridors, linking Gulf energy exporters with global markets. Even limited disruption can affect tanker schedules, insurance premiums, crewing decisions and freight costs. The latest distress calls have shifted attention from commodity flows to the human cost of enforcement operations at sea.
For families awaiting word from vessels still near the conflict zone, the immediate concern is not geopolitics but extraction, communication and accountability. Seafarers in the circulated videos have appealed for authorities to ensure safe passage, evacuation where required and clear instructions to shipowners, managers and naval forces operating in the area.
