Tharoor Questions US Over Indian Sailors’ Deaths

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor strongly criticised the United States over the deaths of three Indian seafarers in a missile strike on the oil tanker MT Settebello in the Gulf of Oman. He expressed shock that the official US statement contained no message of regret or condolence for the loss of Indian lives and questioned how a close strategic partner could remain insensitive to such a tragedy.

Tharoor also questioned whether the vessel could have been stopped through non-lethal means instead of a missile strike. The attack claimed the lives of Aditya Sharma, Shivanand Chaurasiya, and Patnala Suresh, while 21 other Indian crew members were rescued. He described the US response as unacceptable and expressed hope that External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had strongly conveyed India's concerns to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.