American CENTCOM targeted Indian merchant vessels MT Marivex, M/T Settebello, and MV Jalveer in the Gulf of Oman between 9 and 11 June. During this, 3 crew members of M/T Settebello were killed. Since then, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has maintained complete silence.
SNPNEWS.IN News (International): Amid the US-Israel-Iran war that began on 28 February, the Indian government is facing heavy criticism due to its ambiguous stance. After Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Israel the “Father Land” during his visit in the last week of February, a controversy erupted. Throughout the war, instead of securing the country’s energy needs, the central government has been targeted by the opposition for creating an unclear situation.
Similarly, the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena (Moudge-class) was returning to Iran after participating in MILAN 2026 and the International Fleet Review in India. On 4 March 2026, at around 5:08 AM, the US Navy’s Los Angeles-class submarine USS Charlotte attacked IRIS Dena with an MK-48 torpedo in the Indian Ocean, approximately 19–40 nautical miles off Galle coast, Sri Lanka. The ship sank rapidly after the attack. In this incident, more than 87 Iranian sailors were killed, while 32 were rescued by the Sri Lankan Navy. This incident became a matter of international embarrassment for India.
In this matter, the Prime Minister avoided issuing any direct statement. However, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar held a telephonic conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi. The Iranian Ambassador Dr. Mohammad Fathali thanked India because, on humanitarian grounds, India allowed Iranian ships to dock at Cochin Port (for other Iranian vessels after the Dena attack).
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Due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s close relationship with the American President, he is often targeted by the opposition with criticism. After CENTCOM targeted the Indian commercial vessel M/T Settebello in the Gulf of Oman on the night of 9 June, 3 out of 24 crew members were killed. Additionally, fresh reports state that attacks were carried out on MT Marivex on 8 June and MV Jalveer on 11 June. In these incidents, 24 and 20 crew members respectively were safely rescued with the help of the Omani Navy.
The US Central Command stated that all three vessels (MT Marivex, MT Settebello, and MV Jalveer) were “non-compliant” and were violating the blockade against Iranian oil shipments.
After America targeted 3 Indian ships in three consecutive days, the central government’s foreign policy is being called weak by the opposition. After becoming India’s longest-serving Prime Minister, Narendra Modi thanked US President Donald Trump via a tweet for his congratulations.
Following this, heavy criticism has erupted on social media and from opposition parties (especially Congress and AAP). They questioned how the Prime Minister could thank Trump despite American attacks on Indian ships and the deaths of Indian sailors.This has been viewed as Modi’s policy of “bowing before America” and “ignoring India’s national interests in favour of strategic partnership.