A US Navy fighter jet disabled an unladen oil tanker carrying 24 Indian nationals in the Gulf of Oman on June 8, the seventh commercial vessel rendered inoperable since Washington imposed a maritime blockade on Iran, Business Today reported.

The incident drew a notably muted diplomatic response from New Delhi and raised questions about India's exposure to escalating enforcement action against the Iranian oil trade. An F/A-18 Super Hornet operating from USS Abraham Lincoln fired a precision munition into the engineering and steering spaces of the Palau-flagged MT Marivex after its crew ignored directions from US forces, according to a US Central Command statement.

All 24 crew members were subsequently rescued by Oman Navy helicopters. India's Ministry of External Affairs acknowledged the incident a day later, with spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirming communication had taken place between the vessel and the US Navy before the strike.

The ministry thanked Oman for its rescue assistance but declined to identify the United States as responsible or issue any criticism of the action. India's defence ministry separately referred to a "missile attack" whilst similarly omitting any reference to Washington.

The restrained response reflects India's broader posture throughout the West Asia conflict, during which New Delhi has called on all parties to de-escalate without directly condemning US or Israeli actions.