Daily Briefing: Deaths of three Indian seafarers in US strikes spotlight risks for maritime community as Gulf crisis deepens

With that, let’s move on to the top stories from today’s edition:

• Third ship hit by US near Oman
• Air India crash: A year later
• FIFA World Cup 2026 Day 1

🚨 Big Story

Three Indian seafarers died after a Palau-flagged merchant tanker, MT Settebello, was attacked by American forces as the ship navigated waters off the coast of Oman, amid a naval blockade near the Strait of Hormuz. Of the 24 Indians on board, 21 had been rescued. 23-year-old Aditya Sharma was one of those declared dead. Two others who died in the attack are Suresh Patnala, chief engineer, and Shivanand Chaurasiya, fitter. Aditya’s father shared with The Indian Express the seafarer’s journey and his last phone call to family: “When he joined in November (2025), there was no war. He told us the ship had earlier done the China-Singapore route and was now headed to Oman. He was planning to sign off from Oman in May, but later decided to stay on for another two months,” his father said.

G7 next week: The United States military on Thursday attacked MT Jalveer, a Guinea-Bissau-flagged tanker, near the Oman coast – the third such incident in the area in four days. All 20 Indian seafarers on board were safely evacuated after the missile strike. Justifying the attack, the US Central Command claimed that MT Jalveer “attempted to transport oil from Iran through the Gulf of Oman”. These attacks on commercial vessels, the resumption of military strikes by US and Iran and the issue of maritime security frame both diplomatic and economic challenges for G7 leaders meeting next week at Evian-les-Bains in eastern France. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump will be among world leaders at the meeting.

⚡ Only in Express

Air India crash, a year later: 39-year-old Vishwas Kumar Ramesh was the lone survivor in the crash involving AI 171, the Gatwick-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, after it took off from Ahmedabad on June 12 last year, with 242 passengers and crew on board. Friday marks a year since the tragedy, and this lone survivor is still struggling to pick up the pieces from that day. “I don’t think I can ever be completely at peace. I will have to live with what I have gone through and what I have lost, each day of my life,” Vishwas told The Indian Express. Having lost his 35-year-old brother Ajay in the crash, Vishwas said he is hoping for some relief from the “final investigation report”, which he insists “is necessary”. “It will help us know what happened, and ensure this does not happen again,” he said.

📰 From the Front Page

Air India had set up a ‘Family Returns Centre’ (FRC) in Ahmedabad to return the 8,000 identified personal effects, where the families of the deceased – in Ah­medabad-Gatwick AI 171 crash – visited by appointment and were given the belongings with “due dignity”. However, of the families of 241 passengers and crew on board the flight, as many as 15 declined to take back the personal belongings of their deceased kin, including clothes, passports, wallets and photographs, an Air India spokesperson told The Indian Express. The spokesperson also said that the airline has so far paid an interim compensation of Rs 25 lakh each to 96 per cent of the families of victims. airline officials said.

Addressing the 11th Governing Council meeting of Niti Aayog on Thursday, PM Modi asked states to pursue investments from partner countries by tackling gri­evances rapidly and to come up with district-level GDP estimates to deal with growth-related challenges at the grassroots level. Members said energy and a redoubled manufacturing push were the focal points of the meeting, and several Chief Ministers raised the need for energy availability at competitive prices and support in spreading solar infrastructure so that dependency of households on the grid is reduced. The issue of affordable energy comes amid rising fuel prices in the backdrop of the West Asia crisis.

Maradona never left: The stadium, Azteca, and Diego Maradona have given each other footballing immortality. The small bronze statue of Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ goal was removed during renovation ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. “We had to make some space, but it will be restored soon,” Juventino Gonzales, who runs the stadium tours, told The Indian Express. “Almost every visitor comes in search of Maradona memorabilia. Some get so emotional that they even cry,” said Gonzales. When Maradona died over 5 years ago, thousands turned up at the Azteca. “… He is kind of a hero here,” Gonzales adds.

📌 Must Read

In our Opinion section today, V Anantha Nageswaran delves into the categorical rejection of culture when analysts critique India’s underinvestment on research and development, creating a “blind spot.” Nageswaran writes: “The greater the uncertainty about the conditions under which a long-horizon investment must eventually pay off, the higher the discount rate applied to it. R&D expenditure — which suppresses near-term profitability in exchange for competitive returns that may take a decade to materialise — is precisely the kind of commitment that suffers most when discount rates are high. The result is not irrationality; it is the correct pricing of genuine uncertainty.”

At least 15 people were killed in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as protests raged a month ahead of scheduled local elections, leading authorities to respond with a crackdown. While PoK has witnessed many protests since 2023, a recent Pakistan Supreme Court verdict on reservation of seats in the PoK assembly has become a flashpoint. India has condemned the “police brutality” in PoK and hoped “the international community will hold Pakistan accountable for its misdeeds and abuses.” Here’s what’s happening in PoK.

⏳ And Finally…

🏏 The 2026 T20 World Cup in England arrives at a fascinating moment for the women’s game. The likes of Harmanpreet Kaur and Ellyse Perry are preparing for their 10th appearances at the tournament. “Yet while the old guard prepares for another run, a new generation is closing in, and whether experience can hold off youth may ultimately define the tournament,” writes Shankar Narayan. Even as Australia remains the benchmark, India and South Africa believe their moment may have arrived. “The growing parity in the women’s game raises a fascinating question: will the established powers have one final say, or is a changing of the guard finally underway?”

🎧 Lastly, don’t forget to tune in to today’s episode of our 3 Things podcast, where we discuss the deaths of three Indian sailors aboard a ship following the US strike near the Strait of Hormuz and its impact on relations between India and the US. We also talk about the Centre’s Rs 10,000 crore support package for oil marketing companies amid the West Asia conflict, as well as delve into the latest escalation in US-Iran war.

That’s all for today. Have a wonderful day!

Until next time,
Ariba

Business As Usual by E P Unny