Three weeks after Iran seized a Portuguese-flagged container ship, the MSC Aries, five of the 16 Indian crew members onboard the vessel have finally been released. The sailors have left Iran for India on Thursday evening.
Five Indians, a Filipino and an Estonian from the MSC Aries were released, the ministry said in a statement.
The news was shared by the Indian Embassy on Thursday evening. "5 of the Indian sailors on MSC Aries have been released and departed from Iran today evening. We appreciate the Iranian authorities for their close coordination with the Embassy and Indian Consulate in Bandar Abbas," the Embassy posted on X.
However, the fate of the remaining Indians onboard the vessel is still unclear.
Last week, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said the country would release all the crew members. He added that the release of the crew was a humanitarian act and they could return to their countries along with the ship's captain. But, the control of the vessel will remain with Iran under judicial detention.
MSC Aries was seized by Iran's Revolutionary Guards in the Strait of Hormuz on April 13, citing violation of maritime laws. The ship was manned by a crew of 25, of which 17 were Indians. The sole woman, Ann Tessa Joseph, was released on April 18 by Iranian authorities.
The Ministry of External Affairs had earlier said the return of the Indian crew was dependent on several factors, including their contractual obligations. "All of them are in good health. We are in touch with Iranian authorities also for their release," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said when asked about the fate of the 16 sailors.
According to Iran, the seized ship had turned off its radar in Iran's territorial waters and jeopardized the security of navigation.
Since then, the MEA has been in constant touch with the Iranian authorities and the Indians onboard the vessel. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had then claimed that Tehran was quite responsive" and there had been some "follow-up conversations between the Indian embassy and Iranian authorities."