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On Friday, US President Donald Trump alleged that Iran attempted a drone attack on Indian vessels departing the Strait of Hormuz, but said the effort was unsuccessful. In a Truth Social post, Trump pointed to the incident and said Iran’s “totally rebuffed” drone attack on Indian ships departing the Strait of Hormuz was “totally unacceptable.”
Although Trump did not specify which vessels were allegedly targeted. Iranian authorities had yet to comment on the claim at the time of writing.
However, Trump’s allegation of a failed drone attack comes against the backdrop of recent attacks on three vessels crewed by Indians off Oman. One such attack on the Palau-flagged MT Settebello resulted in the deaths of three Indian seafarers. The incident followed an operation on June 8 in which US forces disabled the Palau-flagged tanker Marivex. The vessel had 24 Indian sailors on board, all of whom were rescued without injury.
Trump claimed that, in addition to the attempted drone attack, Iran had released a version of the proposed US-Iran peace deal that differed from what was originally agreed during negotiations.
Iran’s description of the proposed agreement “bears no relation to the truth”, Trump said, labelling the Iranians “very dishonourable people to deal with”.
He claimed that when it comes to Iranians, “there is no such thing as dealing in good faith”. He further stated, “They better get their act together, and fast!”
Following yet another attack on a merchant ship with 20 Indian crew members off the Omani coast, India on Friday summoned US Chargé d’Affaires Jason Meeks for the second time in a week. The incident marked the third attack on a vessel carrying Indian sailors within four days.
Jason Meeks was called in by the MEA’s Additional Secretary (Americas) as New Delhi stepped up diplomatic efforts amid rising concerns over attacks on commercial vessels in the Gulf.
The move came after India voiced a strong protest over the killings. US Central Command confirmed that its aircraft had fired two Hellfire missiles at the engine room of the MT Settebello as it sailed through the Gulf of Oman on Wednesday.
After the incident, 21 of the Indian crew onboard the MT Settebello were rescued, but three were reported missing. By Thursday, the Indian government confirmed that their bodies had been discovered on the ship, the first fatalities since the US imposed the blockade. The three men who died were named as Patnala Suresh, a chief engineer, Aditya Sharma, a deck cadet, and Shivanand Chaurashiya, a fitter.
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