5 Indian sailors who were aboard an Israeli-linked vessel seized by Iranian authorities have been released, confirmed the Indian Embassy in Iran on Thursday. The sailors, part of the crew of the MSC Aries, departed Iran in the evening following their release.
The Indian Embassy expressed gratitude towards Iranian authorities for their close cooperation with both the Embassy and the Indian Consulate in Bandar Abbas throughout the ordeal.
The MSC Aries, with 17 Indian nationals onboard, was seized by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy on April 13 near the Strait of Hormuz. The vessel had been last observed on April 12, heading towards the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Dubai.
Earlier on April 18, one of the 17 Indian sailors, Ann Tessa Joseph from Thrissur, had been released and safely returned home to Kerala. Ann Tessa Joseph was warmly welcomed by government officials upon her arrival at Cochin International Airport from Iran.
