Tehran:
In a diplomatic breakthrough, five of the Indian sailors aboard an Israeli-linked ship seized by Tehran were released on Thursday and departed Iran, the Indian embassy in Iran said.
The Indian Embassy shared details of their release and thanked Iranian authorities for their close coordination with the Embassy and Indian Consulate in Bandar Abbas.
“Five of the Indian sailors on the MSC Aries were released today and departed Iran. We appreciate the Iranian authorities for their close coordination with the Embassy and Indian Consulate in Bandar Abbas,” MEA official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal wrote on X.
The Israeli-linked cargo ship was seized by Iran on April 13 with 17 Indian nationals on board.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps seized the container ship near the Strait of Hormuz and the MSC Aries was last seen on April 12 sailing towards the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Dubai.
Earlier, Ann Tessa Joseph of Thrissur, Kerala, one of the 17 Indian crew members of the Israel-linked cargo ship 'MSC Aries' that was seized by Iran on April 13, returned safely to her home country on April 18.
The Ministry of External Affairs had also said that one of the 17 Indian crew members has returned safely to India and others are safe, adding that they will be released once their contractual obligations are completed.
“One girl who was there has returned. We requested and received consular access for these 16 people and our officers met them. Their health is good and there is no problem on the ship. As for their return, there are some technical details and contractual obligations. Once they are ready, it will decide on their return,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a weekly press conference on April 25.
Iranian Ambassador to India Iraj Elahi has also said that the Indian nationals, crew members of the MSC Aries, are not being held and are free to go.
In the wake of the seizure of the container ship, Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar spoke to his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, during which he raised the issue of the release of the 17 Indian crew members.
Responding to the Estonian side's request regarding the Portuguese ship seized in Iran's territorial waters and the release of its crew, Amirabdollahian said: “The ship, which disabled its radar in Iran's territorial waters and endangered the safety of navigation, will be held according to judicial rules.”
Furthermore, during the phone call between Iranian and Estonian officials, Iran stated that it “has already released all the ship's crew members on humanitarian grounds, and if the ship's captain accompanies them, the crew, including Estonians, can return to their country.”
Amirabdollahian further underlined that compliance with maritime rules and regulations by all ships is necessary and inevitable to maintain maritime safety, the statement said. Tensions between Iran and the West escalated amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
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