Iran has agreed to release the crew members of a Portuguese-flagged ship that its forces seized in the Gulf earlier this month, as reported by AFP.
The MSC Aries, with 25 crew members on board, was taken over by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps near the Strait of Hormuz on April 13.
Tehran had alleged that the ship was linked to its adversary Israel and was under investigation for suspected violations of international maritime laws.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian expressed concern over the humanitarian aspect of the crew’s release during a phone call with Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel.
“We have granted consular access to their ambassadors in Tehran and informed them that the crew members will be released and repatriated,” he stated in a ministry release, providing no further details.
Portugal had summoned Iran’s ambassador to demand the immediate release of the ship following its seizure.
On April 18, India confirmed that one of the 17 Indian crew members had returned home, with the others receiving consular access.
“The crew members are in good health and are not facing any issues on the ship. The process of their return involves certain technicalities,” a spokesperson from the Indian foreign ministry mentioned.
The seizure of the ship occurred just before Iran launched its first direct attack on Israel, deploying numerous drones and missiles.
The Israeli military reported intercepting most of the projectiles.
Both Israel and the United States condemned the ship’s seizure as an act of piracy.
Tensions in the region have escalated since the outbreak of conflict nearly seven months ago between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
