Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian announced Thursday that the Iranian military had released the crew of the Israeli-affiliated MCS Aries cargo ship, which had been seized in the Strait of Hormuz in mid-April.

Amir-Abdollahian announced at the end of April that the crew of the Portuguese-flagged container ship MSC Aries, recently detained by Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC), would be released soon.

During a phone conversation with Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel, Amir-Abdollahian said, "We seriously consider the release of the ship’s crew as a humanitarian issue, and we have announced to their ambassadors in Tehran their access to consular services, release, and extradition." 

Speaking to the Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, Amir-Abdollahian stated that the seized ship turned off its transponders in the territorial waters of Iran and jeopardized "the security of navigation," adding that the crew was released for humanitarian reasons, citing that they could now return to their countries. 

IRGC seized 'Israel'-linked vessel near Strait of Hormuz

Footage obtained by The Associated Press (AP) showed the IRGC Navy seizing an "Israel"-linked vessel near the Strait of Hormuz on April 13.

The footage depicted the operation previously reported by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). However, it provided no details regarding the boarding incident in the Gulf of Oman near the Emirati port city of Fujairah.

One defense official who requested anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, shared the video with AP. In the footage, IRGC Navy members are seen rappelling down onto a stack of containers on the vessel's deck.

A crew member aboard the ship could be heard instructing, "Don't come out," before urging colleagues to proceed to the ship's bridge as additional commandos descended onto the deck. 

The vessel in question is the Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries, a container ship linked to London-based Zodiac Maritime, owned by Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer's Zodiac Group. 

Iran's IRNA news agency said MSC Aries is being transferred to Iran's territorial waters.

It is worth noting that the MSC Aries was tracked near Dubai on April 12, heading toward the Strait of Hormuz. The ship had deactivated its tracking data, a practice often observed among Israeli-affiliated vessels navigating through the region.