India lodged a strong diplomatic protest with the United States on June 10, 2026, after US military forces struck the Palau-flagged chemical and oil products tanker Settebello in the Gulf of Oman, leaving three Indian crew members missing. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Additional Secretary (Americas) Nagaraj Naidu summoned US Chargé d'Affaires Jason Meeks to New Delhi's South Block to convey India's condemnation. US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, was travelling at the time and was therefore unavailable.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that a US aircraft fired precision munitions into the Settebello's engine room after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions from American forces. The strike was carried out as part of the US maritime blockade operations against Iran. The vessel was disabled approximately 20 nautical miles northeast of Sohar port in Oman.

The Settebello had a total crew of 28, of whom 24 were Indian nationals. Following the strike, 21 Indian crew members were rescued, while 3 remained missing. India's Embassy in Oman actively coordinated with Omani authorities to facilitate search and rescue operations.

In an official statement, the MEA declared: "We condemn the attack on the commercial vessel Settebello off the coast of Oman." India called for immediate de-escalation and the restoration of freedom of navigation and safe passage in international waterways. The incident has significantly strained India-US bilateral relations and spotlighted the growing risks to civilian maritime traffic arising from the US-Iran standoff in the Gulf region.