Image for representation purposes only IOS Marine-F.Z.E, Operator of the oil tanker Settebello, has published a statement against the U.S Navy for attacking the tanker, which led to the deaths of 3 indian seafarers and caused damage to the ship exceeding $35 million. The 4-page statement was released on June 11, 2026, in which the company refuted the claims of the U.S forces, which they gave to justify the attack on the commercial vessel operating in international waters. The company called U.S attack an “unprovoked military action against a civilian merchant vessel” and has demanded a transparent and independent investigation. IOS Marine also denied U.S allegations that the vessel ignored warnings or instructions before it was targeted. The company said no communication had happened between the crew and the U.S forces before the attack. It has urged the U.S Navy to release evidence if it claims that communication was established, saying such things should be made public, as the maritime community and the families of the seafarers killed in the strike deserve to know the truth. IOS Marine added that the tanker did not have any links with Iran and was not carrying Iranian oil at the time of the U.S strike. The company officials said that the tanker was stationary for 10 days before the incident and was not engaged in any illegal activities or actions that justify the use of military force against it. The vessel managers also questioned the authority of U.S forces to attack civilian vessels in international waters and asked for the criteria used to determine which ships are targeted, so future ship attacks can be prevented. The company reiterated that human lives matter more than financial losses. Settebelloe will be towed to the Far East for repairs and dry docking before it can enter service again. IOS Marine asserted that the U.S. Navy’s action could have caused a big environmental disaster if the ship’s cargo had been leaked or its bunker tanks breached. The compa