GULF OF OMAN — The U.S. military disabled the Palau-flagged oil tanker M/T Settebello in the Gulf of Oman on Wednesday after it repeatedly ignored warnings while attempting to breach the American blockade on Iranian ports. The incident resulted in the deaths of three Indian sailors.

An American aircraft fired precision munitions into the engine room of the M/T Settebello. A U.S. official stated the M/T Settebello crew dismissed nearly 60 verbal warnings and ignored eight shows of force by military aircraft, including fired flares and flyovers. The official also said two final warnings were ignored before the vessel was fired upon. U.S. Central Command stated the military gave the M/T Settebello crew 15 minutes to exit the engine room before firing shots to disable the ship.

Oman's military launched a rescue operation in the waters following the strike on the M/T Settebello. The strike forced about two dozen Indian seafarers to jump overboard. Three crew members of the M/T Settebello were found dead on Wednesday. Indian officials confirmed the three Indian sailors were killed.

India's foreign ministry lodged a protest with the United States regarding the incident. India also summoned Jason Meeks, the deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, to protest the deadly strike and other recent attacks. On Friday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with his Indian counterpart. The State Department released a summary of the call on Saturday, stating "that all commercial vessels should immediately comply with orders from U.S. forc".

A U.S. official described the M/T Settebello as a shadow fleet ship used to illegally transfer Iranian oil and evade sanctions. The official stated the vessel was observed attempting to break the blockade multiple times. U.S. forces communicated with the M/T Settebello dozens of times over two weeks before it was disabled. U.S. Central Command said in a statement that after more than 60 days, it should be clear that U.S. forces will strictly enforce the blockade.