Iran releases 7 more crew members of captured Israeli-linked ship

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
11 May 2024 13:21

Iran's Ministry of Road and Urban Development says the remaining crew members are still aboard the ship and have access to consular and diplomatic assistance.

This image made from a video provided to The Associated Press by a Mideast defense official shows a helicopter raid targeting a vessel near the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, April 13, 2024. (AP)

Iran's Ministry of Road and Urban Development confirmed Saturday the release of seven additional crew members of the Israeli-linked MSC Aries ship, which was captured by the IRGC on April 13, the Iranian news agency Mehr reported.

In a statement, the Ministry said the release came following diplomatic efforts by the Iranian Foreign Ministry, the Iranian Ports and Maritime Organization, and subsequent approval from relevant judicial authorities.

According to the Ministry, the released crew members—comprising five individuals from India, one from Estonia, and one from the Philippines—have disembarked from the Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries, currently anchored off the southern Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, and have returned to their respective countries.

It also affirmed that the remaining crew members are still aboard the ship and have access to consular and diplomatic assistance from their respective countries within Iran.

Iranian authorities released on April 18 a female sailor from the vessel, while 17 other crew members remained onboard.

In late April, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told his Portuguese counterpart Paulo Rangel that the MSC Aries' crew will be released, stressing that Tehran seriously considers this file as a humanitarian issue.

It is noteworthy that the MSC Aries ship is linked to London-based Zodiac Maritime, owned by Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer's Zodiac Group. The ship had deactivated its tracking data, a practice often observed among Israeli-affiliated vessels navigating through the region.