U.S. strike on tanker Marivex strands 24 crew off Oman

A fire-ravaged tanker off Masirah left 24 Indian seafarers stranded for more than two hours as damage spread through the engine room and water gathered below deck. Omani helicopters eventually lifted every crew member to safety, while the U.S. military said the Palau-flagged Marivex had violated its blockade of Iran.

The first alarm came through a relative of one of the crew members, who alerted the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Mumbai. Indian Coast Guard officials then coordinated with Oman’s search-and-rescue authorities, and Omani forces dispatched two helicopters to reach the vessel. All 24 crew members were evacuated safely, with no casualties or injuries reported, and the tanker remained anchored off Masirah after the rescue.

Video and audio from the ship captured the panic on board as the crew warned that the tanker was on fire, had taken a hit in the engine room, had a hole at the bottom and was sinking. The fire was reported around 1:30 p.m., and the vessel was not carrying cargo. For civilian seafarers, the episode turned a blockade dispute into a life-threatening emergency in the waters off Oman.

U.S. Central Command said an F/A-18 Super Hornet from the USS Abraham Lincoln fired a precision munition into the ship’s engineering and steering spaces after the crew failed to comply with directions from U.S. forces. CENTCOM said the ship was no longer sailing to Iran. Reporting also said the Marivex had been sanctioned by the Office of Foreign Assets Control and was not Indian-owned.

Sources familiar with the matter said the tanker had made four attempts to evade the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, turning away after warnings on three occasions before trying again through Oman’s territorial waters. The vessel reportedly switched off signal devices to avoid detection. That combination of sanctions, interdiction and concealment leaves a legal and diplomatic gray zone around strikes on commercial ships suspected of heading for Iranian ports.

The case unfolded against tightening maritime tensions in the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz, a major oil and gas chokepoint where U.S. forces have been enforcing restrictions tied to Iran. The Indian embassy in Muscat thanked Omani authorities for the rescue, and the Forward Seamen’s Union of India called the attack a matter of serious concern, pressing for swift action to protect the crew and support their families. Indian ministries, the mission in Oman and the Indian Navy were also reported to have coordinated on the response.