NEW DELHI: An Indian-crewed oil tanker sent desperate distress calls seeking "immediate help" after it was struck by a US missile off the coast of Oman, leaving the vessel on fire and taking on water.
"US Navy attack, the missile on our engine room. We have hole at the bottom ... 24 crew. All crew Indian. Please help quickly, we need immediate help," a crew member aboard the tanker said in a distress message shared with BBC Verify by the Forward Seamen's Union of India (FSUI).
Another distress call from the vessel painted a grim picture of the situation "Sir, this is motor tanker Marivex ... we have a fire on board and vessel is sinking," the crew member said.
The incident occurred near the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime chokepoint through which a significant share of the world's oil shipments passes.
All 24 Indian crew members were later rescued by the Omani military, according to the authorities. The FSUI said it received distress communications from the vessel at around 2.15 pm IST and immediately appealed to Indian authorities and the Indian Navy for assistance.
In a post on X, the union said the vessel was located near the Strait of Hormuz and urged urgent intervention.
"Indian Navy in Harmouz 24 Indian Seafarers seeking urgent assistance..." the union wrote, tagging the Indian Navy, the ministry of external affairs and external affairs minister S Jaishankar.
The All India Seafarers Union also said it received distress messages from a crew member shortly after a fire broke out onboard.
Images and videos circulating on social media showed crew members in distress as smoke rose from the vessel. According to reports, the ship's engine had been disabled and a fire erupted onboard, forcing the crew to issue emergency calls for help.
India's Embassy in Oman responded to the FSUI's social media post seeking more information about the incident. The videos shared by the union showed crew members being winched from the tanker into the helicopter.
The US military later confirmed that it had targeted the tanker. According to US Central Command (CENTCOM), the vessel had violated an ongoing US blockade against Iran by attempting to sail to an Iranian port despite repeated warnings.
CENTCOM said an F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet operating from the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln fired a precision munition at the vessel after the crew failed to comply with instructions from US forces.
In a statement, CENTCOM said the Palau-flagged tanker M/T Marivex was travelling through international waters in the Gulf of Oman toward Iran when it was intercepted.
"US forces disabled an unladen oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman, June 8, after the vessel violated the ongoing blockade against Iran by attempting to sail to an Iranian port," the statement said.
CENTCOM added that the fighter jet "fired a precision munition into the ship's engineering and steering spaces" to prevent the vessel from continuing its journey. The incident is linked to the US-led blockade imposed on Iran amid escalating regional tensions.
The reported strike comes at a time of growing instability in West Asia following the recent escalation between Israel and Iran.
Commercial shipping routes around the Strait of Hormuz remain under close scrutiny amid concerns over maritime security and potential disruptions to global trade and energy supplies.
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