US evacuates 22 crew members on seized Iranian ship to Pakistan

ISLAMABAD – The US has evacuated 22 crew members held aboard an Iranian container vessel to Pakistan and will hand them over to Iranian authorities on May 4, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said, calling the move a “confidence-building measure”.

Iranian-flagged Touska, part of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) that has been hit with sanctions by Washington, was boarded and seized by the US off the coast of Iran’s Chabahar port in the Gulf of Oman in April.

The US Central Command had said the ship’s crew failed to comply with repeated warnings over six hours, and the vessel was in violation of a US blockade.

Iran had condemned the incident as “unlawful and a violation” of international law, and demanded the immediate release of the vessel, its sailors, and their families.

Pakistan’s foreign ministry said on May 4 that the ship will be moved to Pakistani territorial waters for return to its owners after necessary repairs.

The US-Israeli war on Iran, which began in February, was suspended four weeks ago after the countries declared a fragile ceasefire.

However, Washington and Tehran have since engaged in naval confrontations and seizures of each other’s commercial vessels.

Peace talks were held in April in Pakistan, which has been trying to negotiate an agreement, but did not culminate in a deal. REUTERS