In a development that's unprecedented or at least extremely rare, India on Wednesday summoned a US diplomat in the capital of New Delhi over what it blasted as an illegal "attack" on a vessel off Oman this week.
Jason Meeks, charge d'affaires of the US Embassy in New Delhi, was formally summoned by the Indian government to protest the US military attack on the Palau-flagged Settebello.
There had been 24 Indian crewmen on board - but 21 were rescued. Later, the three missing crewmembers were confirmed dead.
US CENTCOM by Thursday had confirmed: "Earlier this week, U.S. aircraft disabled Palau-flagged vessels M/T Marivex and M/T Settebello on Monday and Tuesday, respectively. Marivex violated the blockade by attempting to sail to an Iranian port and Settebello attempted to transport Iranian oil."
The attack which killed three Indian sailors occurred off the coast of Oman, and the killing of the Indian nationals has made global headlines.
Many thousands of Indian sailors are currently stranded in the Gulf region, and so the situation remains highly dangerous for them and other international crew.
According to the BBC:
Rajesh Sharma, father of Aditya Sharma, a cadet on board the Settebello who died in the strike, told the BBC that the family was waiting for his body to be returned to them.
He said his son was due to return home in May, but his duty got extended. He added that he had last spoken to his son on Sunday.
He questioned why the captain of the tanker chose to go near the Strait of Hormuz and called for an inquiry. "Who is responsible for the deaths [of the three Indian sailors]? The circumstances that led to the deaths must be investigated," he said.
The Pentagon's favored tactic has been to fire hellfire missiles into a tanker's engine room when it fails to comply with warnings not to continue on its course.
Both sides are imposing their own rival blockades on the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping waterway, and so there's a double danger and risk posted to international crew members.
At its narrowest point, the strait is about 18 miles wide, making commercial vessels extraordinarily vulnerable to suicide drones, missiles, mines, and small boats. But then they have to face down the US Navy if they 'illicitly' visited an Iranian port, or are inbound from the other direction.