The tanker “Motor Tanker Marivex,” sailing near the coast of Oman with 24 Indian nationals on board, has reportedly come under attack.
According to sea-news.az the tanker, which was placed on a U.S. sanctions blacklist in December last year as part of sanctions against Iran, transmitted a distress signal reporting a fire on board.
In the SOS message, crew members claimed that the fire was caused by an attack by the U.S. Navy and alleged that a missile struck the vessel’s engine room.
According to the Forward Seamen’s Union of India, all 24 crew members aboard the tanker are Indian citizens and are currently in a difficult situation.
The vessel sails under the Palau flag, and its registered owner, Arihant Shipping Inc., has been included on the U.S. sanctions list due to alleged Iran-related activities.
The U.S. side has not yet issued an official statement regarding the incident.
