All 24 sailors aboard the tanker MT Marivex were rescued after the vessel caught fire off the coast of Oman.
According to Indian officials, crew members sent distress messages reporting that the tanker was on fire and sinking.
The incident occurs amid heightened risks in Gulf waters as the United Nations and US‑led forces tighten a blockade against Iranian shipping.
Fire broke out at roughly 1330 local time, as reported by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. Preliminary investigations suggest the crew is safe, and multiple agencies are coordinating to secure the sailors.
Omani authorities performed the rescue, using a helicopter to evacuate the crew to Masirah Island.
MT Marivex had previously been sanctioned by the United States over alleged links to Iran.
The All India Seafarers Union reported ongoing contact with distress communications from a crew member and coordinated with Indian authorities about the rescue.
The Forward Seamen's Union of India described the event as a serious concern, urging swift action for the sailors’ safety and support for their families.
A US Central Command statement confirmed that US forces disabled the unladen tanker – a missile fired by an F/A‑18 Super Hornet from USS Abraham Lincoln – after the ship attempted to enter an Iranian port.
American forces described their action as a precision munition hit to the engineering and steering spaces of the vessel, concluding that MT Marivex no longer sails to Iran.
The tanker was empty and found south of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital chokepoint that carries about a fifth of the world’s energy supplies in normal times.
