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New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday expressed gratitude towards the Oman for the latter’s assistance in the early evacuation of 24 Indian nationals after the U. S. military had neutralised an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz which was reportedly empty and abandoned.

“The MEA also expressed appreciation to the Government of Oman for their assistance in the early evacuation of Indian nationals,” an official statement read. An explosion occurred on board the MT Marivex, a Palau-flagged vessel off the Strait of Hormuz beyond Oman. When smoke was seen following the collision, the crew were directed to activate the muster protocol. All the crew was evacuated to a place of safety when the smoke turned to fire on deck.

Mea confirms safety of crew and details contact with us navy

Thanks to the assistance of Omani authorities, all 24 Indian nationals on board were safely evacuated by the Indian Navy. “We are in contact with the Indian crew as well as the local authorities to ensure the welfare of the seafarers,” an MEA spokesperson said. “The ship MT Marivex, which flies the flag of Palau, broke down off the coast of Oman. We know the crew spoke with the US Navy before the incident happened,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal during a press briefing.

VIDEO | Delhi: On the attack on a Palau-flagged vessel near the Oman coast carrying 24 Indian crew members, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) says, “A vessel named ‘MT Marivex’ was disabled near the coast of Oman. We understand that the ship was operating under the… pic.twitter.com/cHOzLt6eGM

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 9, 2026

The ministry confirmed that all the Indian crew members are safe and sound after the Indian embassy teamed up with officials in Oman to get them out of danger. “We’re incredibly grateful to the Omani government for stepping in so quickly to rescue the crew and make sure they were safe,” Jaiswal said. “Our team on the ground is staying close to the sailors to support them.”

US Military confirms it struck blockade running tanker in Gulf of Oman

The incident took place in international waters in the Gulf of Oman. According to US Central Command (Centcom), an F/A-18 Super Hornet launched from the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln fired a precision munition into the tanker’s engineering and steering compartments.

Iran has claimed that it boarded the ship after learning it was a stationary tanker that had turned off its transponder and dodged repeated warnings from U. S. Navy ships that patrol shipping in connection with Iran sanctions. The vessel reportedly slipped into Omani waters days before it was detained and then flew the flag of Oman and stopped broadcasting its location. Eventually, the Navy or Marines were able to stop the Ship.

Following this event international registries commonly referred to as flags of convenience became the topic of conversation. Ships can register with a country that they have no direct connection to usually to avoid stricter regulations that are closer to their area of operation. The MT Marivex crew was entirely made up of Indians. However, it was flying the flag of Palau. Palau is a small island country located in Micronesia that does not closely monitor ship behavior.

The Rescue and Return Home

The Forward Seamen’s Union of India (FSUI) reported receiving a distress call from a crew member on Monday afternoon. The sailor warned that a massive fire in the engine room had blocked off parts of the ship, leaving them unable to reach the lifeboats on one side.

The Mumbai Maritime rescue center alerted Oman, help began moving. “The Indian Coast Guard said in a statement. “Oman initiated the rescue operation by deploying two rescue helicopters to the incident area.”

(Curated by: Faiza Nazar)