WASHINGTON — An oil tanker disabled by the U.S. military while attempting to break through America’s blockade of Iran had brushed off nearly 60 verbal warnings and multiple demonstrations of military force before U.S. forces ultimately opened fire, a U.S. official has revealed to The Associated Press.
According to the official, who was not authorized to speak publicly on the sensitive matter and requested anonymity, the ship’s crew also disregarded eight shows of force from military aircraft — including flares and flyovers — along with two final warnings before shots were fired on Wednesday.
Earlier in the week, the U.S. military disclosed that an American aircraft fired what it called “precision munitions” into the engine room of the Palau-flagged vessel M/T Settebello. Indian officials confirmed that three Indian sailors lost their lives in the strike, which took place in the Gulf of Oman.
The U.S. official characterized the vessel as part of a so-called shadow fleet used to illegally move Iranian oil and sidestep international sanctions. The official also noted the ship had been observed attempting to breach the blockade on multiple occasions, and that U.S. forces had communicated with the vessel dozens of times over a two-week period leading up to the day it was disabled.
In an official statement, U.S. Central Command said American forces gave the ship’s crew a 15-minute window to evacuate the engine room before firing the shots that put the vessel out of commission.
“After being in place for more than 60 days, it should be clear by now that U.S. forces will strictly enforce the blockade,” the statement read.
India’s foreign ministry announced that New Delhi had filed a “strong protest” with the United States over the deaths of its citizens.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke by phone with his Indian counterpart on Friday, conveying “that all commercial vessels should immediately comply with orders from U.S. forces as they seek to uphold peace and security in the Strait,” according to a summary of the conversation released by the State Department on Saturday.
