U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that on 9 June 2026, U.S. forces "disabled the Palau-flagged motor tanker MT Settebello in the Gulf of Oman" as it was "transiting toward Iranian territorial waters" in violation of a U.S.-led maritime blockade on Iran. CENTCOM said an American aircraft "fired precision munitions into the vessel’s engine room after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions" and that the strike occurred "near the approach to the Strait of Hormuz" in the Gulf of Oman. The release confirms that the action took place under current operations, not during a prior administration.

On 9 June, at approximately 11:14 p.m. local time, U.S. forces disabled the Palau-flagged motor tanker M/T SETTEBELLO as it transited the Gulf of Oman toward Iran in violation of the ongoing maritime blockade. U.S. forces employed precision munitions against the vessel’s engine room after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions from American forces. There are reports of casualties among the crew; U.S. forces provided coordination for search and rescue efforts conducted by regional partners.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General issued a statement strongly condemning an attack on the tanker MT Settebello near the Strait of Hormuz. The IMO said the vessel was sailing under the flag of Palau and was attacked off the coast of Oman, with three seafarer fatalities confirmed. The statement places the incident in the context of dozens of attacks on international shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz since late February 2026.

The article reports that three Indian sailors were killed when a U.S. aircraft conducted a "precision strike" on the engine room of the Palau‑flagged tanker **Settebello** as part of U.S. blockade efforts against Iran‑linked shipping. It states that U.S. Central Command said a U.S. aircraft struck the engine of the **Palau‑flagged Settebello** after the crew "repeatedly failed to comply" with orders, claiming the vessel was attempting to transport oil from Iran. The story situates this incident within broader U.S. operations to enforce a naval blockade on Iran and notes that India summoned a U.S. diplomat after the attack.

The Government of India strongly condemns the attack on the commercial vessel MT Settebello off the coast of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz on 9 June 2026. The Palau-flagged tanker had 24 Indian crew members on board. Twenty-one Indians have been rescued; three Indian nationals are confirmed dead. India has lodged a strong protest with the United States regarding the attack and has called for accountability and a thorough investigation into the circumstances that led to the use of force against a civilian merchant vessel.

A U.S. warplane fired on and disabled the Palau-flagged oil tanker MT Settebello in the Gulf of Oman late on June 9 as it was sailing near the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Central Command said on Wednesday. CENTCOM said the aircraft 'fired precision munitions into the ship's engine room after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions from American forces' and alleged the vessel was attempting to transport Iranian oil in violation of a U.S.-led blockade. India summoned the U.S. chargé d’affaires in New Delhi to lodge a strong protest after three Indian crew members were confirmed dead and 21 others rescued from the tanker.

In its recent media updates, the IMO notes that there have been "43 attacks on international shipping" in and around the Strait of Hormuz since late February 2026. The organization has issued multiple condemnations of attacks on commercial vessels in the Gulf of Oman and near the Strait, calling for "full and transparent investigations" and stressing that ships of various flags, including Palau, have been targeted. These background notes situate the Settebello incident within a broader pattern of attacks on shipping in the region in 2026.

ABC News, in live updates on the Iran conflict, reports that U.S. Central Command said it **disabled a vessel, the M/T Settebello tanker, as it transited in the Gulf of Oman** on Wednesday. CENTCOM stated that a U.S. aircraft "fired precision munitions at the ship’s engine" after the crew "repeatedly failed to comply with directions from American forces." The report notes that the ship was in the **Gulf of Oman** about 20 nautical miles northeast of Sohar, Oman, and that three Indian crewmembers were reported missing while 21 were rescued. It identifies the Settebello as sailing under the flag of Palau.

A CBS News live‑updates page on the U.S.–Iran conflict refers to "three mariners' deaths in the attack on the **Palau‑flagged tanker Settebello**" in the context of escalating tit‑for‑tat strikes. The coverage ties the incident to U.S. enforcement of a blockade and indicates the waterway was effectively **closed to traffic, including oil tankers and commercial vessels**, when the attack occurred. While it highlights the tanker’s Palau registry and the deaths of three mariners, it does not describe the Settebello as being bombed inside the Strait of Hormuz, but rather as part of the broader blockade and conflict around the strait.

A video shared by U.S. Central Command shows the moment an oil tanker carrying Indian crew members was struck near the Strait of Hormuz, triggering a fire onboard. The 15-second unclassified clip captures the Palau-flagged oil tanker MT Settebello being targeted in the Gulf of Oman, with flames breaking out after the strike. CENTCOM said in a post on X that U.S. forces 'disabled Palau-flagged M/T Settebello as it transited the Gulf of Oman' after the crew allegedly failed to follow directions and that 'precision munitions were fired into the ship's engine room.' India later condemned the attack on the commercial vessel off the coast of Oman.

US Central Command said it fired on the Palau-flagged Settebello after the crew ignored orders, hitting its engine room as the vessel attempted to carry Iranian oil in violation of the US blockade. A US warplane fired on and disabled a tanker in the Gulf of Oman that was attempting to transport oil from Iran in violation of a US blockade, the US military said Wednesday. The aircraft 'fired precision munitions into the ship's engine room after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions from American forces,' CENTCOM said, identifying the vessel as the Palau-flagged MT Settebello.

Thermal imagery released by U.S. Central Command shows the Palau-flagged tanker M/T Settebello after a precision strike on its engine room in the Gulf of Oman on June 9, 2026. CENTCOM said U.S. forces disabled the vessel after it allegedly failed to comply with instructions while transiting toward Iran in violation of the ongoing U.S.-led blockade. Dubai-based IOS Marine FZE, manager of the tanker, has accused the U.S. Navy of causing the deaths of three Indian seafarers and called for a full international investigation into the incident, rejecting claims that the Settebello ignored warning calls and denying any affiliation with Iran or Iranian oil.

NDTV reports that "three Indian sailors were killed and 21 others rescued" after "a US military strike hit the Palau-flagged oil tanker MT Settebello in the Gulf of Oman". The channel cites U.S. Central Command as saying the vessel "was targeted for allegedly attempting to transport Iranian oil" and that U.S. forces "hit its engine room with precision munitions" when it ignored orders. The incident is dated to June 2026 and described as occurring near the Strait of Hormuz amid heightened regional tensions.

The Wikipedia entry on the **2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis** lists a chronology of shipping incidents related to the conflict. In the incident table, for 9 June 2026 it records: "*Settebello* | Palau | Oil tanker | Disabled; **Intercepted in the Gulf of Oman by U.S. military aircraft. Three Indian sailors killed, 21 rescued by the Royal Navy of Oman.**" The article describes this as part of a U.S. naval blockade and aerial campaign along the Strait of Hormuz but locates the Settebello incident specifically in the **Gulf of Oman**, not inside the Strait of Hormuz itself.

Container News reports that the IMO "has strongly condemned an attack on the tanker MT SETTEBELLO near the Strait of Hormuz." According to the article, "the vessel, sailing under the flag of Palau, reportedly suffered a projectile strike off the coast of Oman" and the attack caused a fire on board. The report notes that three seafarers were reported missing and that the IMO called for a full and transparent investigation into the incident.

IndexBox describes that on June 10, 2026, "a product tanker flying the Palau flag sent a distress call" about 20 nautical miles from Sohar, Oman, and identifies the vessel as the product tanker Settebello. The article says the ship "radioed that a strike had severely damaged its engine room" and cites reports that this "appears likely to be another case of a tanker disabled by U.S. forces enforcing a blockade on Iran." It notes that the incident occurred off the coast of Oman, near the Strait of Hormuz, amid high regional tensions and a U.S. blockade that began on April 13.

The post by Indian news agency ANI shows video of the Palau‑flagged oil tanker MT Settebello and says it "was attacked off the coast of Oman, near the Strait of Hormuz, on June 10." It adds that the commercial vessel had 24 Indian crew members on board and that "while 21 Indians have been rescued, 3 remain missing." The wording attributes the incident to an attack but does not, in the quoted text, specify which forces carried it out.

A post by Stars and Stripes states: "CENTCOM forces disabled the Palau-flagged M/T Settebello as it transited the Gulf of Oman, attempting to transport oil from Iran." The brief item characterizes the incident as U.S. Central Command forces disabling the tanker while it was in transit in the Gulf of Oman and mentions that the ship was carrying Iranian oil, but the post does not mention the Trump administration or provide a date.

A post by ILTV Israel News states: "Three Indian mariners were killed aboard the tanker **Settebello** after the vessel was targeted by the **US military** for allegedly violating Washington’s blockade on Iran." It adds that "The US military said the **Palau‑flagged tanker** was attempting to transport Iranian oil when **American forces struck its engine room to stop it**." Indian officials are cited as confirming the deaths after recovery of two bodies while the third remained missing.

In a June 11, 2026 video, The Business Standard states that "a US military strike on the oil tanker MT Settebello in the Gulf of Oman has drawn international attention after three Indian sailors were killed." According to the narration, U.S. Central Command said American forces "targeted the vessel's engine room using precision munitions" and that the tanker, carrying 24 Indian crewmen, was accused of attempting to transport oil from Iran in violation of a U.S.-led blockade. The video explains that the strike occurred as part of the current blockade enforcement after Iran had effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz in the ongoing regional conflict.

Zee News English posts that "New visuals have emerged of the **Palau‑flagged oil tanker MT Settebello**, which was **attacked off the coast of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz on June 10**." The description notes that the vessel "suffered significant damage" and that a major search and rescue operation followed. It says the tanker had 24 Indian crew members on board and that, according to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, **21 Indians have been rescued while three remain missing**. The incident is described as having "heightened concerns over maritime security in the Gulf region" near the Strait of Hormuz.

Donald Trump served as President of the United States from January 20, 2017, to January 20, 2021. Any reference to "the Trump administration" as of mid‑2026 indicates that Trump returned to office following the 2024 election and is again the sitting president. Thus, news reports from 2026 that attribute military actions to President Trump or the Trump administration refer to this later term, not to his 2017–2021 presidency.

The reel’s caption reports that "a Palau-flagged oil tanker was reportedly struck while passing through the Strait of Hormuz ... Vessel: MT Settebello (Palau-flagged commercial tanker)." It continues that "all three Indian sailors, who were reported missing after the US attack on a Palau-flagged ship off the Oman coast, have been confirmed dead, news agency Reuters reported." The caption adds that "the US military said it attacked the oil tanker, MT Settebello, after it tried to 'violate' the blockade put up by the US outside the Strait of Hormuz, off the Oman coast."

A news reel on Instagram reports that "Three Indian seafarers aboard the **Palau‑flagged tanker MT Settebello** were confirmed dead after a **U.S. military strike in the Gulf of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz** on June 11, 2026." It describes the vessel as part of "a reported enforcement operation linked to Iranian oil shipment blockades" and notes that Indian authorities confirmed the deaths and recovered the bodies. According to the reel, of 24 Indian crew members onboard, **21 were rescued by Omani authorities**.

An Instagram post discussing U.S. actions against Iran notes that "The US military said it **attacked the oil tanker, MT Settebello, after it tried to 'violate' the blockade put up by the US outside the Strait of Hormuz." The caption adds that the "strike was on an oil tanker which was crossing without approval and **3 Indians happened to be inside the ship**," presenting the episode as part of U.S. enforcement of a blockade at the approaches to the Strait but not specifying that the ship was inside the Strait itself.

The caption states that "a tanker initially reported as Palau-flagged was struck in the Strait of Hormuz, though the Palau Ship Registry says the vessel had been ..." The clip refers to confusion over a tanker’s flag in a strike in the Strait of Hormuz and mentions the Palau Ship Registry contesting that the ship was properly under its flag. While related to Palau‑flagged tankers and strikes in the Strait of Hormuz, the excerpt does not name Settebello and describes a different incident where the registry challenged the reported flag status.

A televised news segment uploaded to YouTube covers U.S. naval actions in the **Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz** during the same conflict, focusing on President Trump’s claim that U.S. forces intercepted an Iranian‑flagged cargo ship named **Tosca/Touska** near the Strait. The anchor quotes Trump saying the U.S. Navy stopped the Iranian ship by "blowing a hole in the engine room" and that U.S. Marines took custody of the vessel. While this segment does not mention the Settebello by name, it provides contextual evidence that during the Trump administration’s blockade operations in 2026, U.S. forces were indeed using air and naval power to disable ships near the Strait of Hormuz by targeting their engine rooms.