Three Indian sailors remain missing after a U.S. military strike on an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman on Tuesday, according to India's government. Twenty-one crew members were rescued from the vessel Settebello following the incident off the coast of Oman.

The U.S. Central Command announced Wednesday that American forces had disabled the tanker after determining it violated an ongoing U.S. naval blockade in the region. A U.S. aircraft conducted what officials described as a precision strike on the vessel.

The military action has drawn criticism from India, which expressed concern over the missing sailors and the circumstances surrounding the strike. Indian officials confirmed that all crew members aboard the tanker were Indian nationals.

The incident occurred amid heightened tensions in the Gulf of Oman and surrounding waters, where U.S. naval forces have maintained increased patrols and enforcement operations. The specific nature of the alleged blockade violation that prompted the strike was not immediately detailed by U.S. officials.

Search and rescue operations are ongoing for the three missing crew members. The fate of the Settebello tanker and its cargo following the U.S. military action remains unclear.