Amid the brewing tensions in the Middle East, Iran said that it has released all the crew of MSC Aries, the Portuguese-flagged ship linked to Israel, which was seized by Iran last month. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian confirmed that the crew stranded onboard the vessel were released but Iran will still remain in control of the ship.
On April 13, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps seized the container ship MSC Aries which comprised 25 crew members. It is pertinent to note that the crew also included 17 Indian crew members. Last month, one of the 17 crew members safely returned to India.
The Iranian foreign minister, Hossein Amir Abdollahian said that the crew was released “with a humane approach” and informed that “it is possible for them to return” to their home countries. Meanwhile, Abdollahian mentioned that the ship itself will still remain “under judicial detention". Israel, India and the United States are yet to give a response on the matter.
MSC Aries: A symbol of Iran-Israel tensions
The ship was commandeered less than two weeks after Tehran pledged to retaliate against a suspected Israeli strike on its embassy in Damascus.
The attack on the consulate led to the death of several Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders, including two senior generals. After seizing the ship, the Iranian authorities reasoned that the vessel was blocked because it “violated maritime laws”.
The MSC leases the Aries from Gortal Shipping, an affiliate of Zodiac Maritime, which is partly owned by Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer. At the time it was detained, it was reported that the vessel had been boarded by “Iranian authorities” via helicopter.
The vessel was passing through the Strait of Hormuz when it was seized by the Iranian authorities. It is important to note that this was not the first time Iran seized a commercial vessel.
In January this year, Iran’s navy seized a tanker loaded with oil off the coast of Oman. Before the ongoing Israel-Hamas war rattled the Middle East, the United States had often accused Iran of “harassing and attacking” more than a dozen internationally flagged merchant ships in recent years.
With inputs from agencies.
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