In the aftermath of U.S. Navy strikes on MT Marivex, Settebello and MT Jalveer, the spokesperson for India's ministry of external affairs said that two of the ships had been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control while one was “non-compliant”.
Each of the three vessels struck has had a complicated history with inspection deficiencies, detentions and sanctions.
MT Marivex, which was the first ship struck by the U.S. Navy off the coast of Oman with 24 Indian sailors on board, is linked to Panama-based Arihant Shipping. The firm was hit by U.S. sanctions in 2025 after the United States Treasury stated that the firm was part of Iran’s shadow fleet network, allowing Tehran to evade sanctions on its petrochemical sector.
The Palau-flagged MT Marivex went by the name Arihant and was sanctioned under that name for transporting “hundreds of thousands of barrels of Iranian fuel oil and bitumen within the Persian Gulf since July 2025”.
Also read: ‘Failed to comply with directions’: US on why it attacked 3 vessels carrying Indian crew
The second ship to be struck by the U.S. military, Settebello, has had a similarly chequered past. The ship is owned by Aqua Aurora Shipping Lines and operated by IOS Marine FZ, both of which are based in the UAE.
The vessel, previously known as Hana, has its shipping classification suspended in 2021 due to non-compliance with various conditions and standards of its classification.
MT Jalveer, which was hit by the U.S. Navy on Thursday, is owned by Liberia-based Jal Shipping. The vessel was detained at India’s Haldia port in February this year for deficiencies related to fire safety and emergency preparedness.
