Iran has released all the crew members of the seized ship, including the Malayalis. Iran said the crew was released on humanitarian grounds. 24 employees including 16 Indians were released.
Malayali Anne Tessa Joseph, who was the only woman in the ship’s crew, was released on April 18. Among the rest were PV Dhanesh (32), a native of Mananthavadi, Shyam Nath (31), a native of Kozhikode Mavur, and S. Sumesh (31), a native of Palakkad Keralaseri. The Indian Embassy officials were allowed to meet the crew of the ship.
On April 13, Iran seized the MSC Aries cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz. There were 25 crew members on board, including 17 Indians. Iran explained that the vessel was seized after violating maritime laws. The ship’s seizure came after Iran announced it would retaliate against an Israeli attack on its consulate in Damascus.
Iran allowed Indian officials to meet with Indian officials. Efforts were made by S. Jayashankar as part of the efforts to free the Indian crew on the ship.
