Iran frees five Indian sailors from cargo ship it took over for ties to Israel
Iran has already freed all 25 crew members and the crew of the cargo ship flying the Portuguese flag
Iran frees five Indian sailors who were on board the MSC Aries, a cargo ship that was taken into custody, according to the Indian embassy in Tehran. A big and massive diplomatic win for India on the world stage.
“5 of the Indian sailors on MSC Aries have been released and departed from Iran today evening. We appreciate the Iranian authorities for their close coordination with the Embassy and Indian Consulate in Bandar Abbas,” the embassy said in a post on X.
Iran frees Five Indian Sailors from Seized Cargo Ship Amid Tensions Over Ties to
Iran took control of the cargo ship, MSC Aries, associated with Israel on April 13, ensnaring 17 Indian citizens. However, Iran frees five Indian sailors from the seized vessel.
The container ship, MSC Aries, was taken over by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy close to the Strait of Hormuz. The ship was last observed on April 12th, heading towards the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Dubai.
Prior to this, Ann Tessa Joseph, a native of Thrissur, Kerala, who was one of the 17 Indian crew members aboard the cargo ship “MSC Aries,” which was connected to Israel and taken by Iran on April 13, made a successful return to her home country on 18th April.
Iran has already freed all 25 crew members and the crew of the cargo ship flying the Portuguese flag.
One of the 17 Indian crew members has safely returned to India, according to the Ministry of External Affairs, and the others are all secure. They will be freed after fulfilling their contractual requirements. The Indian nationals who are crew members of the MSC Aries have not been imprisoned and are free to go, according to Iranian Ambassador to India Iraj Elahi.
With the vessel seized, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar discussed the release of the 17 Indian crew members with his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.
Amirabdollahian responded to the Estonian side’s request for the crew’s release from the Portuguese ship that had been seized in Iranian territorial waters by saying, “The ship, which turned off its radar in the territorial waters of Iran and endangered the security of navigation, is detained under judicial rules.”
Furthermore, in the phone conversation between Iranian and Estonian authorities, Iran declared 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 the Estonians, can return to their country.”
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