India has thanked the Sultanate of Oman for timely assistance to rescue 24 Indian crew members from a Palau-flagged oil tanker which had issued an SOS message after being hit by missile fired from a US fighter jet in in the sea waters of Strait of Hormuz.
The incident had taken place on Monday the 8th of June when radio operator from the tanker MT Marivex had asked anyone listening on his rescue frequency, to save their lives.
On Tuesday, Randhir Jaiswal, the Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) sated that India is “grateful” to the Omani government for their support.
“Our embassy, for the rescue purpose, contacted the Omani authorities, who swung into action. We are grateful to the Omani government for its excellent support in rescuing the crew and ensuring their safety. Our mission continues to be in touch with the seafarers,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
Addressing the weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Jaiswal said there was communication between the crew of MT Marivex, and the US Navy before the vessel was disabled by the American forces off the coast of Oman, while confirming that all Indian crew members onboard were rescued safely.
“The ship MT Marivex was disabled off the coast of Oman. We have learned that it is a Palau-flagged vessel. We also understand there was some exchange of communication between the ship and the US Navy before the incident. There were 24 crew members on board the ship, all of them being Indian nationals. They all have been rescued and are safe,” Jaiswal added.
In a separate released by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) gave details about the details of the incident.
The Indian Coast Guard’s Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Mumbai received information regarding a missile attack at approximately 1420 hours on June 08, 2026.
Following which, it established communication with the Oman Maritime Search and Rescue Centre (OMSC) and maintained close coordination with OMSC and other relevant stakeholders to monitor the situation and ensure the safety of the crew.
At approximately 1700 hours, OMSC Oman confirmed that all 24 Indian crew members had been safely rescued by helicopters of the Oman Navy.
The rescued personnel are reported to be safe, with no casualties or injuries.
The vessel however remains anchored off Masirah, Oman.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) had announced that US forces had disabled MT Marivex in the Gulf of Oman on 8th June, 2026.
The news ag3ency ANI is reporting on its website that according to a statement issued by CENTCOM, the Palau-flagged oil tanker was allegedly attempting to sail toward an Iranian port in violation of the US-led blockade against Iran, and was hit after the “crew failed to comply with directions from US forces.”
“An F/A-18 Super Hornet from USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) fired a precision munition into the ship’s engineering and steering spaces after the crew failed to comply with directions from U.S. Forces,” the statement read.
CENTCOM said the vessel was disabled while transiting international waters in the Gulf of Oman and was no longer proceeding toward Iran.
Earlier, sources had said the tanker was sanctioned by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
The vessel allegedly made multiple attempts to evade the US blockade in the Strait of Hormuz and had switched off its signal devices during its latest transit.
