Merchant Ship, U.S. Navy Rescue 14 Indian Mariners Near Hormuz Shipping Route

A merchant vessel diverted to assist in the rescue of 14 Indian mariners after their vessel became disabled and was abandoned off the coast of Oman, according to statements from the U.S. Navy and Indian authorities.

The rescue involved the Indian-flagged dhow Virat 1, which reportedly suffered an engine failure while operating in the Northern Arabian Sea. According to the Embassy of India in Oman, the crew was forced to abandon the vessel and transfer to a liferaft as Omani authorities coordinated a search and rescue operation with nearby ships.

The U.S. Navy said it received a distress call from the stranded mariners at approximately 2 a.m. EST on June 14. A U.S. Navy P-8 maritime patrol aircraft was first to arrive on scene and deployed a search-and-rescue kit that included a life raft, which the crew successfully boarded.

The UAE-based cargo vessel MV Jabal Ali 9 subsequently arrived at the scene and recovered 11 of the mariners from the raft.

Three additional crew members were rescued by an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. According to the Navy, rough sea conditions caused the life raft carrying the three mariners to capsize before the helicopter crew was able to recover them.

“The three mariners were transported to M/V Jabal Ali 9, where they were in good health and spirits,” the Navy said in a statement.

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Michael Murphy also responded to the distress call.

The Indian Embassy in Oman initially reported that 11 of the 14 crew members had been rescued and that efforts to recover the remaining mariners were ongoing. A later update confirmed that all 14 crew members had been safely recovered.

“All 14 crew members have been rescued and are presently onboard Jabal Ali 9 heading to Mumbai. The crew members are safe and in good health,” the embassy said.

The rescue comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and New Delhi following the deaths of three Indian seafarers aboard the tanker Settebello during a U.S. blockade enforcement operation in the Gulf of Oman last week.

India has formally protested the incident, with External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar telling U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio that “such lethal actions against commercial shipping are not justified.”

Washington has defended its operations, insisting that commercial vessels must comply with instructions from U.S. forces enforcing sanctions and restrictions on Iranian oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.

The incidents have placed Indian mariners at the center of the crisis and raised broader concerns about the safety of civilian crews operating in the region.

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