The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has officially dismissed social media reports and media claims that an Indian-crewed tanker, the MT Liaki Freedom, was struck off the coast of Oman. In an official “MEA Fact Check” statement, the ministry confirmed it established direct contact with the vessel’s master, who verified that the ship had not been attacked and that all crew members are entirely safe, despite a temporary loss of local radio communications reported by seafarers’ unions.
The statement from the MEA came after reports suggested that Liaki Freedom, a vessel carrying Indian crew members, had been attacked off the coast of Oman. The reports were later dismissed by the ministry as false.
India protests deaths of three Indian sailors
Meanwhile, India continued to raise concerns over recent attacks on commercial vessels in the Gulf.
India has lodged a strong protest with the United States over US Navy attacks that resulted in the deaths of three Indian sailors. During a phone call on Friday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar conveyed India’s concerns to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and said that lethal action against commercial shipping was not justified.
In a post on X, Jaishankar said, “Spoke to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio this evening. I reiterated India’s strong protest at the attacks by the US Navy in the Gulf that killed three Indian mariners. Such lethal actions against commercial shipping are not justified.”
Three Indian sailors killed in Gulf of Oman strike
Jaishankar’s statement came after three Indian sailors lost their lives in a US military strike on the tanker MT Settebello in the Gulf of Oman.
Of the 24 Indian crew members on board, 21 were rescued, while three were initially reported missing. Their deaths were later confirmed by Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who described the incident as a “profound loss for India’s maritime community”.
MEA summons US diplomat over vessel attacks
The Ministry of External Affairs summoned US Chargé d’Affaires Jason Meeks on Friday and lodged a strong protest over attacks on commercial vessels near Oman.
The move came after another vessel carrying 20 Indian crew members was attacked in the region. It was the second time in a week that the MEA summoned the senior US diplomat over concerns about the safety of Indian sailors.
Iran-US row over attacks on Indian-crewed vessels
US President Donald Trump accused Iran of being behind attacks on vessels carrying Indian seafarers near the Strait of Hormuz and called the incident “totally unacceptable”.
Iran rejected the allegations and called them “baseless”. The Iranian Embassy in India accused Washington of trying to divert attention from attacks on commercial ships carrying Indian crew members.
Iran also condemned the attacks, describing them as “brutal” and a threat to maritime security.
