A day after the MSC Aries-cargo ship with 17 Bharatiya citizens on board was seized by Iran because of its link to Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke on the matter with his Iranian counterpart H Amirabdollahian on Sunday.
‘The two leaders talked about the release of the Bharatiyas and discussed the current situation in the region’, said EAM S Jaishankar.
“Took up the release of 17 Indian crew members of MSC Aries. Discussed the current situation in the region. Stressed the importance of avoiding escalation, exercising restraint and returning to diplomacy. Agreed to remain in touch,” he said in his post on X.
Spoke to Iranian FM @Amirabdolahian this evening.
Took up the release of 17 Indian crew members of MSC Aries.
Discussed the current situation in the region. Stressed the importance of avoiding escalation, exercising restraint and returning to diplomacy.
Agreed to remain…
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) April 14, 2024
Tensions further increased after the Islamic Republic launched hundreds of missiles and drones on the Jewish state early morning. The ship was seized by Iran officials amid growing concerns about a wider Middle East war. After the seizure of MSC Aries, Bharat started its efforts to contact Iranian officials for the immediate release of the Bharatiyas.
We are aware that a cargo ship ‘MSC Aries’ has been taken control of by Iran. We have learnt that there are 17 Bharatiya nationals onboard. We are in touch with the Iranian authorities through diplomatic channels, both in Tehran and in Delhi, to ensure the security, welfare and early release of Bharatiya nationals.
The ship, identified as the Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries- was “directed towards the territorial waters” of Tehran, reported ANI referring to Iranian state media.
Earlier in the day, New Delhi called for an immediate de-escalation of the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict. Apart from Bharat, several other nations including the US, UK, France, etc reacted sharply to Iran’s attack on Israel.
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