Iran releases crew of container ship with ties to Israel detained last monthAccording to Iranian media reports, the country’s foreign minister said that the country will continue to detain the ship.
Iranian forces have seized the Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries cruise ship as tensions between Iran and Israel escalate. Israel and the United States condemned the seizure, with the U.S. National Security Council calling on Iran to immediately release the ship and its crew.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said the crew had been released “in a humane manner” and “it is possible for them to return” to their homeland. Tasnim News is a semi-official news agency affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Party. the Guard reported Thursday.
The agency quoted him as saying that the ship itself remained “in judicial custody.” Israel and the United States had no immediate comment.
The MSC Aries is a 1,200-foot cargo ship with a crew of 25 on board, according to its operator. It is operated by major shipping company MSC but is a subsidiary of Zodiac Maritime, part of the Zodiac Group owned by Israeli-born billionaire Eyal Ofer.
The MSC said the ship had been boarded via helicopter by “Iranian authorities” while passing through the Strait of Hormuz when it was seized on April 13. A video posted by Iran’s state news media showed a military helicopter hovering over what appeared to be the stern of the ship and at least two soldiers rappelling down to the deck.
The soldiers were part of the Revolutionary Guards, Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported.
This is not the first time Iran has seized commercial ships.exist In January, the Iranian navy seized A tanker laden with oil off the coast of Oman. During that capture, soldiers also disembarked from the helicopter.Before the Gaza War, the United States explain Iran has “harassed, attacked or interfered” with more than a dozen commercial ships flying international flags in recent years.
