The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, condemned the attack by the United States on a Palau-flagged vessel MT Settebello that killed three Indian seafarers in the Gulf of Oman.
Guterres’ spokesman Stephane Dujarric said at the daily press briefing on Thursday, “Notably, the Settebello tanker was hit and a number of Indian seafarers were killed. And that is an attack that was clearly condemned by the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). And we fully support and second that language.”
Guterres raised concerns regarding the rising escalations in West Asia by the United States and Iran, and called for the full implementation of the ceasefire and to avoid any further deterioration. He also reinforced that the exercise of navigational rights and freedoms, in accordance with international law, must be respected.
IMO’s statement
The IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez had earlier released a statement, expressing his “deep sadness” and “strong condemnation” of the attack.
Dominguez said that the incident, which took place near the Strait of Hormuz and allegedly followed a projectile strike against the tanker, led to a fire on board and the deaths of three seafarers.
Dominguez asserted that he “strongly” condemned any act from any party that endangered the lives of seafarers and the safety of international shipping.
“This is simply unacceptable. My thoughts are with the families of the three seafarers who lost their lives and with all those awaiting news of the crew members,” said the IMO statement.
The statement further added, “All actions affecting international shipping must fully respect international law and the safety of life at sea. The protection of seafarers is a shared responsibility that must remain paramount.
IMO said it was monitoring the situation closely and called for a full and transparent investigation into the incident.
Meanwhile, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had summoned U.S Charge d’Affaires Jason Meeks following the incident and handed him a diplomatic note of protest.
