Iran mourns 3 Indian sailors killed in US attack off Oman coast

Iran mourns 3 Indian sailors killed in US attack off Oman coast

Iran has expressed condolences over the death of three Indian sailors in a US attack on a commercial vessel off the coast of Oman in the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei conveyed the sympathy in a post on social media platform X on Friday, June 12.

"The brutal US attack on the Indian commercial vessel and the subsequent death of three Indian citizens proves once again that the United States has adopted a policy of armed robbery and state piracy," Baghaei wrote.

"We express our deep sympathy and condolences to the bereaved families, friends and relatives of the deceased Indian nationals, as well as to the people and government of India. We also demand that the international community hold the United States accountable for such illegal acts," he added.

"Global peace and the freedom of navigation for commercial vessels are both under serious threat due to the reckless behaviour of the United States," Baghaei further said.

On Wednesday, June 10, US forces fired a missile into the engine room of a Palau-flagged vessel off the Oman coast in the Strait of Hormuz. The vessel was carrying 28 crew members, of whom 24 were Indian. Following the US attack, three Indian nationals went missing. On Thursday, India's Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways confirmed that the three missing sailors had died.