“All crew members were released on humanitarian grounds and can return to their countries,” Iran’s foreign minister said.
Iran’s government has announced it has released all crew members of the Portuguese-flagged container ship MSC Aries, nearly three weeks after it was seized near the Strait of Hormuz by Revolutionary Guard forces.
“All crew members were released for humanitarian reasons and can return to their countries,” Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said in a phone call with his Estonian counterpart Margus Chakhna, according to Iran’s ISNA news agency.
The head of Iranian diplomacy, however, argued that the seizure of the ship was justified and in accordance with international protocols, since the MSC Aries had disabled its tracking system, endangering the safety of navigation in the area.
Although the MSC Aries container ship is Portuguese-flagged, Iranian officials say it has Israeli owners. According to information, there were 17 sailors on board, of which one Indian was released on April 18. Iran has not specified if – and when – it plans to release the ship.
The seizure of the MSC Aries by Revolutionary Guard forces on April 13 was seen as one of Tehran’s first reprisals after the Israeli strike on the consular section of the Iranian embassy in Damascus, which had killed seven Iranian servicemen.
Source :Skai
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