New Delhi: A Palau-flagged tanker that caught fire after it was attacked by the US Navy off the coast of Oman was black-listed and sanctioned by the US, and its 24 Indian crew members were safely rescued.
The vessel, MT Marivex, made four attempts to evade the US blockade of Iranian ports, people familiar with the matter said.
The vessel caught fire after it was hit by a missile Monday.
External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the vessel was disabled off the coast of Oman.
We also understand that there was some exchange of communication between the ship and the US Navy before the incident, he said.
There were 24 crew members onboard the ship, all being Indian nationals. All of them have been rescued, he said.
At a media briefing, Jaiswal said the Indian embassy in Oman coordinated with the Omani authorities in rescuing the Indian crew members.
We thank the Oman government for their support in rescuing the crew and ensuring their safety. Our mission continues to be in touch with the seafarers, he said.
The vessel was black-listed and sanctioned by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the financial intelligence and enforcement agency of the US Treasury Department, the people cited above said.
The OFAC acts against vessels involved in violating US sanctions on the sale of Iranian and Russian oil.
MT Marivex made four attempts to evade the US blockade of Iranian ports, the people said.
On three occasions, the vessel turned away after repeated warnings by the US Navy, they said.
Separately, the Indian Coast Guard said the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Mumbai coordinated closely with Omani authorities in rescuing the Indian crew members following a missile attack on the tanker.
At approximately 220 pmMonday, MRCC received information regarding a missile attack on the Palau-flagged tanker while the vessel was anchored off Masirah, Oman, it said.
The information was relayed to MRCC by a relative of one of the crew members, it noted.
Recognising the gravity of the situation and the immediate threat to the safety of the crew, MRCC Mumbai promptly established communication with the Oman Maritime Search and Rescue Centre (OMSC), and requested OMSC to assume the duties of Search Mission Coordinator (SMC) and render urgent assistance to the vessel and its crew, it said in a statement.
The OMSC initiated and coordinated the rescue operation by diverting a nearby vessel and deploying two rescue helicopters to the incident area, the Coast Guard said.
The successful rescue operation highlights the effectiveness of international maritime cooperation and the strong coordination mechanisms established between maritime rescue authorities in the region, it said.
The Indian Coast Guard operates the MRCC.
The incident came amid renewed hostilities between Iran and Israel.
Israel carried out air strikes in western and central Iran after Iran fired missiles at northern Israel.
