The US military disabled an oil tanker after it ignored dozens of warnings, according to a US official. The tanker, which was carrying Iranian oil, had dismissed nearly 60 verbal warnings as well as other shows of force before being fired upon.

Details of the Incident

The ship’s crew also ignored eight shows of force by military aircraft that included fired flares and flyovers, as well as two final warnings before being fired upon. The incident in the Gulf of Oman killed three Indian sailors, Indian officials said.

The US official described the vessel as a shadow fleet ship that has been used to illegally transfer Iranian oil and evade sanctions. The US military communicated with the ship dozens of times over two weeks before the day when the ship was disabled.

US Central Command said the military gave the crew 15 minutes to get out of the engine room before the shots were fired that disabled the ship. India’s foreign ministry said New Delhi has lodged a “strong protest” with the United States.

Original reporting: KTSA News/Talk (San Antonio) — read the source article.