Iran’s Foreign Minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, has declared that the crew aboard the Israel-linked ship seized by Iranian authorities will soon be released.
The vessel, MSC Aries, was intercepted by Iranian forces, carrying a crew of 25 members, including 17 Bharatiya nationals. One crew member, Ann Tessa Joseph, had been released earlier and safely returned home on April 18th.
On Saturday, the Iranian Foreign Minister conveyed to his Portuguese counterpart, Paulo Rangel, that the humanitarian aspect of releasing the ship’s crew was a top priority for Iran.
He assured that the crew would be handed over to their respective ambassadors in Tehran.
Abdollahian emphasized, “The human issue of the freedom of the ship’s crew is of serious concern to us, and we have announced consular access, freedom, and transfer to their ambassadors in Tehran.” However, the exact timeline for the release remains unclear.
Previously, the Bharatiya External Affairs Ministry (MEA) mentioned “technicalities involved” in the return of the remaining 16 Indian crew members.
MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal assured that the crew members were in good health and in contact with their families.
Jaiswal stated, “As far as their return is concerned, there are certain technicalities involved, there are some contractual obligations, once that is done, when they’ll return it will depend on that.”
The seizure of MSC Aries by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards occurred on April 13th in the Strait of Hormuz while en route to Mumbai.
The Iranian forces raided the vessel by helicopter. This incident happened amidst heightened tensions between Israel and Iran, following allegations of an Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus earlier in the month.
MSC Aries, a Portuguese-flagged container ship, is associated with London-based Zodiac Maritime, which is part of Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer’s Zodiac Group. The Iranian Foreign Ministry stated that the seizure was due to “violating maritime laws” and its association with Israel.
Last week, an Iranian FM Spokesperson explained, “The vessel was diverted into Iran’s territorial waters as a result of violating maritime laws and not answering calls made by Iranian authorities.”
MSC, the operator of the Aries, confirmed Iran’s seizure of the ship and expressed cooperation with relevant authorities for its safe return and the wellbeing of its crew.
Comments