In a statement, US Central Command said the military gave the crew 15 minutes to get out of the engine room before the shots were fired that disabled the ship.
The Palau-flagged commercial vessel, which came under the US military’s attack in the Gulf of Oman, had reportedly “dismissed” nearly “60 verbal warnings” and at least “eight shows of force” before being fired upon. The US military has said an American aircraft fired “precision munitions” into the engine room of MT Settebello to disable it, killing three Indian sailors, Indian officials said.
The US military’s show of force on the commercial vessel included firing flares and flyovers, as well as two final warnings before being fired upon on Wednesday, the Associated Press reported, quoting a US official who was not authorised to publicly discuss the sensitive matter.
The US official claimed the vessel was a “shadow fleet ship” that had been used to illegally transfer Iranian oil and evade sanctions and was seen trying to break the blockade multiple times. The official alleged that the American forces communicated with the ship dozens of times over two weeks before the day when the ship was disabled.
In a statement, US Central Command said the military gave the crew 15 minutes to get out of the engine room before the shots were fired that disabled the ship.
“After being in place for more than 60 days, it should be clear by now that U.S. forces will strictly enforce the blockade,” the statement added.
India Lodges Complaint
New Delhi last week summoned the US charge d’affaires to strongly protest a US military attack on a commercial vessel off the Oman coast that killed three of the 24 Indian crew members on board.
US’ Reply
The US Central Command acknowledged the strike, saying the vessel violated the ongoing US blockade of Iranian ports by attempting to transport oil from Iran.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told his Indian counterpart on Friday “that all commercial vessels should immediately comply with orders from US forces as they seek to uphold peace and security in the Strait”, according to a summary of the call released by the State Department on Saturday.
US and Iran Reach A Deal
In a relief for the Indian crew operating on commercial ships in Hormuz, the United States and Iran have agreed to a peace deal and an “immediate and permanent” end to military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, signalling the apparent end to more than three months of war in the Middle East.
The deal is scheduled to be signed on June 19 in Switzerland.
