Iran has declared its intention to release the crew members of a Portuguese-flagged ship that was seized by Iranian forces in the Gulf. The incident occurred on April 13 when the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps took control of the MSC Aries near the Strait of Hormuz. Initially, Iran alleged that the ship, believed to be owned by Israel, was being investigated for purported violations of international maritime law.
In a phone conversation with his Portuguese counterpart, Iran’s Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, expressed concern over the humanitarian aspect of the crew’s release. Consular access was granted to the ambassadors of the crew members’ respective countries, with assurances given that the crew would be released and deported. The specifics of the release were not provided in the statement issued by Iran’s Foreign Ministry.
Following the ship’s seizure, Portugal summoned Iran’s ambassador and demanded the immediate release of the ship. India also reported that one of its 17 crew members had returned home, while the remaining crew members were granted consular access.
The seizure of the ship took place just hours before Iran launched its first-ever direct attack on Israel, deploying numerous drones and missiles. The Israeli military claimed that most of the projectiles were successfully intercepted. Both Israel and the United States condemned the seizure as an act of piracy.
Tensions in the region have escalated since the outbreak of conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip nearly seven months ago.
