- Iran has announced the release of all crew members aboard a cargo vessel which included 17 Indians out of a total of 25 crew.
- Iranian Foreign Minister mentioned this during a phone conversation with Estonian counterpart Margus Tsahkna. The release comes after the vessel was seized by Iran’s military.
- The Iranian foreign ministry stated that the ship’s crew was released on humanitarian grounds, but the vessel remains.
Iran on Friday said it released all the crew members of a cargo vessel that had 17 Indians among its 25 crews, reports Marine Insight.
Crew members of seized vessel released
Iranian Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian mentioned the release of the crew of the ship during a phone conversation with his Estonian counterpart Margus Tsahkna on Friday.
Ann Tessa Joseph, the sole woman cadet among the 17 Indian crew members of the Israeli-linked container vessel was released days after the tanker was seized by Iran’s military on April 13.
“In response to the request of the Estonian side regarding the ship seized in the territorial waters of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the release of the Estonian crew, Amirabdollahian said the ship, which turned off its radar in the territorial waters of Iran and endangered the security of navigation, is detained under judicial rules,” the Iranian foreign ministry said.
“He however noted that Iran 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,” it said.
Hours after the Iranian military seized the vessel, White House National Security Council Spokesperson Adrienne Watson had said the ship’s crew comprised Indian, Filipino, Pakistani, Russian and Estonian nationals.
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Source: Marine Insight
