Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Three Indian crew members were reported missing after a vessel was attacked off Oman, India said Wednesday, before the US military announced it had fired on a tanker attempting to breach its blockade of Iran.

In a statement, the Indian foreign ministry condemned the attack on the vessel, the Settebello, saying: "Of the 24 Indian crew onboard, 21 Indians have been rescued thus far and three Indians are reportedly missing."

"Attacks on shipping in the region are deeply worrisome and a direct result of the ongoing conflict in the region. We reiterate our call for immediate de-escalation," it added.

Later, the US military said one of its warplanes had fired on the tanker in the Gulf of Oman, disabling the vessel as it attempted to transport oil from Iran.

US Central Command said in a post on X, identifying the Palau-flagged Settebello, that the "crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions from American forces."

India summoned Washington's charge d'affaires in New Delhi to lodge a "strong protest" over the attack, a senior Indian government official told AFP.

A critical waterway for global fuel supplies, the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf has been almost completely blocked since the start of the Middle East war, which began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February.

Talks during a fragile ceasefire in place over recent weeks have failed to deliver a deal to reopen the strait.