The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has firmly refuted reports claiming that a cargo vessel carrying an Indian crew came under attack off the coast of Oman on Saturday morning, labeling the information as “false” and “baseless.” The controversy centered around the ship Liaki Freedom, which allegedly stopped responding to communications, triggering concerns about the safety of its crew members.

The MEA moved quickly to quash the reports, issuing a statement confirming that officials had spoken directly with the ship’s master and verified that all crew members aboard were safe. “Fake News Alert! Please stay alert against such false and baseless claims and posts on social media,” the ministry stated, urging the public to exercise caution when encountering unverified information on social platforms.

The alarm was initially raised by the Forward Seamen’s Union of India, which reported difficulties in establishing contact with the vessel. According to union representatives, the ship’s Very High Frequency radio system was not responding to communication attempts. Despite the communication breakdown, the union was able to track the vessel’s location off the Oman coast using its coordinates. Unverified reports that circulated online claimed that four seafarers had died aboard the tanker MT Liaki Freedom, which operates in the strategically important Strait of Hormuz area.

The incident comes at a particularly tense time for Indian seafarers working in the Gulf region, following a series of genuine attacks on vessels carrying Indian crew members. These incidents have heightened anxiety among maritime workers and their families, making the spread of unverified information even more problematic.

The concerns are rooted in recent tragic events. In a confirmed incident, three Indian crew members lost their lives during a US military strike on the Palau-flagged tanker MT Settebello off the Oman coast. The vessel was carrying a total of 24 Indian nationals at the time of the attack. While rescue operations managed to save 21 sailors, officials subsequently confirmed the deaths of the three missing crew members, marking a somber conclusion to the search efforts.

The US Central Command took responsibility for the attacks, confirming they were carried out by American naval forces operating in the region. President Donald Trump attributed the military action to threats posed by Iran, though the strikes resulted in the unintended casualties among the civilian maritime crew.

The incident has sparked a diplomatic row between New Delhi and Washington. India responded to the deaths of its citizens by lodging a strong formal protest with the United States government. The Ministry of External Affairs summoned the US chargé d’affaires in New Delhi to convey India’s deep concern about the matter and demand explanations for the loss of Indian lives.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar personally intervened in the matter, speaking directly with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. During their conversation on Friday, Jaishankar conveyed India’s strong protest over the US naval operations in the Gulf that resulted in the deaths of three Indian seafarers. The high-level diplomatic engagement underscores the seriousness with which the Indian government is treating the incident.

The Gulf region, particularly the Strait of Hormuz, remains one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints, with nearly a third of all seaborne oil passing through its waters. Indian seafarers constitute a significant portion of the global maritime workforce, making their safety a priority for the Indian government. The recent incidents have raised questions about the protocols governing military operations in busy commercial shipping lanes and the measures in place to protect civilian vessels and crew members caught in conflict zones.

As tensions continue in the region amid broader geopolitical conflicts, the Indian government faces the challenge of protecting its nationals working at sea while navigating complex diplomatic relationships with major powers involved in Gulf security operations.