US warplanes strike near Oman, paralyzing oil tanker; 24 Indian crew members evacuated

An empty oil tanker MT Marivex with 24 Indian crew members on board was crippled and caught fire in the Gulf of Oman on Monday following US military action, officials said.The U.S. military said an F/A-18 Super Hornet fired precision munitions at the ship, which it said was violating a blockade of Iranian ports and ignoring U.S. military instructions. “On June 8, U.S. forces destroyed an empty oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman as it attempted to sail to an Iranian port in violation of the ongoing blockade on Iran.“Further revealing details it added, “U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) disabled the Palau-flagged M/T Marivex while it was en route to Iran in international waters in the Gulf of Oman. An F/A-18 Super Hornet from the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) fired precision munitions into the ship’s engineering and wheelhouse after the crew failed to comply with U.S. instructions. strength. Marivex no longer sails to Iran. “Meanwhile, according to ANI sources, while Indian officials did not admit that the US fighter jet was hit, they said that all 24 Indian sailors on board were safely evacuated with the help of Omani authorities.A shipping ministry official further said that the vessel is not owned by India and has reportedly been blacklisted by the US OFAC. Sources said the ship had made several attempts to evade warnings from the U.S. Navy in recent days, including turning off its tracking signal and entering Omani waters before becoming “paralyzed.”On June 8, the ship made another attempt to use Oman’s territorial waters to cross the blockade. It shut down the signaling device to avoid detection. “This pattern clearly shows that its intentions were not above board. The ship was unladen when it was disabled,” said a source who spoke on condition of anonymity.The Indian Embassy in Muscat confirmed that all crew members had been safely evacuated and thanked the Omani authorities for their quick response. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.