Iran on Friday, 12 June condemned the US Navy's attacks on commercial vessels carrying Indian crew members, calling the incidents “clear evidence of America’s ongoing policy of armed robbery and state piracy.” The statement came after three Indian nationals were killed and 21 others rescued following an attack on the vessel Settebello off the coast of Oman on Wednesday.

Iran’s Condemnation

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baqaei extended condolences to the families of the slain sailors and urged the international community to hold Washington accountable. “The brutal US attacks on Indian commercial vessels, which have killed at least three Indian nationals, stand as clear evidence of America’s ongoing policy of armed robbery and State piracy. We extend our sympathies to the families and friends of the slain Indian sailors and offer our sincere condolences to the Indian people and government,” Baqaei said in a post on X. He further stated: “The international community must hold the United States accountable for its lawless conduct, which continues to threaten global peace and security while endangering the freedom of navigation.”

What Happened to the Settebello

The attack on the Settebello occurred off the coast of Oman on Wednesday. Of the 24 Indian crew members aboard, 21 were rescued while three were killed. The vessel is among several foreign-flagged ships caught in what Indian officials described as a pattern of escalating attacks on commercial shipping in West Asia in recent days. Notably, all three ships involved in the incidents are foreign-flagged — two under the Palau flag and one under the Guinea flag — and are not Indian-owned.

India’s Strong Protest to the US

India lodged a ‘strong protest’ with the American side on Thursday, summoning the US Charge d’Affaires (CDA) in New Delhi to convey its deepest concerns. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, addressing an inter-ministerial briefing on West Asia developments, called for an immediate halt to the attacks. “Yesterday, we condemned the attack on a ship off the coast of Oman in which, unfortunately, we lost three Indian nationals. We had summoned the US CDA here to register a strong protest. The continuing incidents of attacks on shipping in the region are deeply worrisome and a direct result of the ongoing conflict in the region. These attacks must cease and end,” Jaiswal said.

India’s Seafarers at Risk

Jaiswal underscored that India has a large seafaring community deployed across the Persian Gulf and West Asia, and that the government is in active contact with them through its Embassy and the Ministry of Shipping. He also called for “dialogue and diplomacy” to secure an early return to peace and stability in the region. This is not an isolated incident — officials noted that several such attacks involving Indian seafarers have occurred in West Asia over the past few days, marking a sharp deterioration in maritime safety in the corridor.

Broader Implications

The incidents have placed India in an uncomfortable diplomatic position, requiring it to formally protest against its strategic partner, the United States, over the deaths of its citizens. Iran’s public intervention — framing the attacks as ‘state piracy’ — adds a geopolitical dimension that complicates India’s carefully calibrated neutrality in the West Asia conflict. With Indian seafarers forming one of the world’s largest maritime workforces, New Delhi’s ability to protect them in active conflict zones is now under intense scrutiny.