Three ships attacked by the US in three days: What we know

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. Three ships attacked by the US in three days: What we know11 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleThomas Copeland and Shruti MenonBBC VerifyBBCThree tankers have been struck by the US military over the past three days, killing at least three people. US forces fired a missile into the engine room of a tanker in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday morning - the third vessel to be targeted. US Central Command (Centcom) said the ship had violated a blockade of Iranian ports and refused to comply with its directions.

Three Indian sailors were killed on Wednesday after a strike by the US. The Indian government condemned the attack, saying the "targeting of commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure in the region must end". India's foreign ministry summoned the deputy head of the US embassy in Delhi to lodge an official protest.

The Details

A further 24 Indian crew were rescued from a ship off Oman's southern coast on Monday after sending a distress call saying the vessel was on fire and sinking following a US strike. The US military has been blockading Iran's ports after Tehran effectively closed the busy Strait of Hormuz through which about 20% of the world's oil and gas supplies are usually transported. Centcom says it had disabled nine vessels and redirected 135 more since since the blockade began on 13 April.

Jalveer tankerThe tanker Jalveer reported that a fire had broken out in its engine room early on Thursday morning, according to maritime risk management company Vanguard. Centcom later said a US aircraft fired two Hellfire missiles into the ship's engine room "after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions". The crew contacted the Omani navy and another nearby vessel asking to be rescued, according to distress calls heard by Verify.

A crew member also blames the US for the strike in the calls, saying it "just targets merchant ships". Satellite imagery seen by Verify shows smoke billowing from Jalveer. The ship had 20 Indian sailors on board, all of whom were safely evacuated with the assistance of the Royal Navy of Oman, according to Indian authorities.

What Experts Say

Centcom said the vessel, which was laden with cargo, had "violated the blockade against Iran by attempting to transport Iranian oil". Ship tracking data shows Jalveer has sailed between the Gulf and several Indian ports over the past year, but the ship has not been sanctioned by the US for links to Iran. Settebello tankerThree Indian sailors were killed and 21 had to be rescued after the US fired "precision munitions" into the engine room of a tanker called Settebello on Wednesday.

India's shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal called the incident "deeply unfortunate" and said the bodies of the three men would quickly be repatriated. The US says Settebello violated its blockade by "attempting to transport oil from Iran" and the crew had "repeatedly failed to comply with directions from American forces".

The story has become one of the most prominent items on the global agenda.