Three Indian sailors are dead after a U.S. strike on a commercial tanker off the coast of Oman. As rescue teams searched for missing crew members, President Donald Trump publicly praised American operations in the region, triggering outrage in India. New Delhi responded by summoning the U.S. Chargé d'Affaires and issuing a formal diplomatic protest. Why did the United States target the vessel? Could the strike have been avoided? And what does this incident mean for India-U.S. ties, maritime security and the safety of thousands of Indian sailors working across the Gulf? This report breaks down the attack, Delhi's response, Washington's damage-control efforts and the larger geopolitical stakes in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most critical energy corridors.