Representation Image The International Maritime Organization has condemned an attack on an oil tanker off the coast of Oman that left three seafarers missing, calling the targeting of crews near the Strait of Hormuz “simply unacceptable.” IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez issued the statement after the Palau-flagged products tanker MT Settebello was struck near the strait and caught fire. “I strongly condemn any act from any party that endangers the lives of seafarers and the safety of international shipping,” he said. He added that his thoughts were with the families of the three missing seafarers and all those awaiting news of the crew. The missing men are Indian. India’s Ministry of External Affairs said the Settebello carried 24 Indian nationals, of whom 21 had been rescued and three remained missing. The Indian Embassy in Oman is coordinating with Omani authorities on the search-and-rescue effort, the ministry said. U.S. Central Command confirmed that American forces disabled the tanker in the Gulf of Oman late Tuesday. A U.S. military aircraft fired precision munitions into the vessel’s engine room after the crew “repeatedly failed to comply” with instructions, CENTCOM said. The command described the Settebello as having violated its blockade of Iran by attempting to move Iranian oil. Neither the IMO nor India named the United States as the attacker, even as CENTCOM acknowledged the strike itself. The IMO called for a complete and transparent investigation into how the incident unfolded. The strike adds to a widening toll on merchant shipping in the region. By the IMO’s own count, 43 attacks on international shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz have been verified since 28 February, with 11 seafarer deaths confirmed so far. Dominguez pointed back to an extraordinary session of the IMO Council that stressed the need to protect seafarers, civilian shipping and freedom of navigation at all times. T