'Trump Is An Insane Person': Bereaved Kin Of Deceased Indian Sailors Slam US For 'Hooliganism'
'Trump Is An Insane Person': Bereaved Kin Of Deceased Indian Sailors Slam US For 'Hooliganism' Published By, Last Updated: June 12, 2026, 12:41 IST Family
'Trump Is An Insane Person': Bereaved Kin Of Deceased Indian Sailors Slam US For 'Hooliganism' Published By, Last Updated: June 12, 2026, 12:41 IST Family members of the three Indian sailors killed in a US strike on MT Settebello accused the United States of hooliganism and recklessness. Rapid Read The MT Settebello came under US attack near the Strait of Hormuz. The US attack on a Palau-flagged MT Settebello, which resulted in the death of three Indian seafarers, has left their grieving families shocked and outraged, many of whom have accused the United States of “hooliganism" in international waters. MT Settebello, carrying 24 Indian crew members, came under US attack on June 10 (Wednesday) while operating near the strategically important Strait of Hormuz. While 21 crew members were saved, the government confirmed that desk cadet Aditya Sharma, engine fitter Shivanand Chaurasia and chief engineer Patnala Suresh were killed in the attack. The Indian government on Thursday said it was actively coordinating with all concerned authorities and ship owners to provide all necessary assistance. The mortal remains of the three deceased Indian seafarers have been expeditiously located and identified and efforts are underway to ensure their dignified return to their families.
ALSO READ: Who Were The Three Indian Seafarers Killed In US Missile Strike On MV Settebello? ‘Hooliganism And Cowardice’ Speaking to CNN-News18, Rajesh Sharma, the father of cadet Aditya Sharma, slammed the United States for not saving Indian sailors after the attack on the tanker, accusing them of recklessness. “This is pure hooliganism and cowardice. If they couldn’t defeat Iran, they are now attacking neighbouring countries," he said. Rajesh further alleged that his son was alive after the attack, but the ship failed to send an SOS signal on time, which could have saved Aditya. He also said that when US media asked if he had a message for US President Donald Trump, he replied that there could be no message for an “insane person." Sushila Devi, the wife of Shivanand Chaurasia, also appealed to PM Modi to save the lives of Indian seafarers on international shipping routes. Meanwhile, Patnala Suresh’s wife, Bhargavi, requested authorities to complete the necessary formalities to expedite the return of his mortal remains. “I just requested them to do the favour as early as possible. He was a victim, suffering alone on the ship with no help for so long," she earlier told news agency ANI.
India Condemns US Attack India strongly condemned the incident by summoning US Chargé d’Affaires Jason Meeks and lodging a formal demarche. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) described the continuing attacks on shipping in the region as “deeply worrisome" and called for immediate de-escalation of tensions. The Seafarers Welfare Fund Society (SWFS), functioning under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, is releasing Rs 10 lakhs to the families of the deceased. The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) also condemned the strike, saying any action that endangers seafarers and civilian shipping “simply unacceptable" and urged a full and transparent investigation into the incident. ALSO READ: Caught In The Crossfire: Why Indian Sailors In The Gulf Are Being Drawn Into US-Iran War However, the US has maintained that its military carried out a “precision" strike on the tanker, alleging that the vessel was transporting Iranian oil and had failed to comply with instructions. However, iOS Marine, the manager of MT Settebello, rejected the US allegations that the tanker ignored warning calls. “To the best of our knowledge and based on information available to us, no warning call, message, or communication was ever successfully established with the vessel prior to the actions taken against it," it said in a statement.
Manoj Yadav, general secretary of the Forward Seamen’s Union of India (FSUI), earlier said he did not believe that the US lacked information regarding the nationalities of the people on board those ships. “Seafarers are workers. They are not soldiers," the FSUI said on Thursday. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author Aveek Banerjee Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in int... Read More First Published: June 12, 2026, 12:41 IST News india 'Trump Is An Insane Person': Bereaved Kin Of Deceased Indian Sailors Slam US For 'Hooliganism' Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments...
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