Tehran announced on Friday that 22 Iranian crew members, whose oil tanker was seized by the United States during the recent conflict, have been transferred to Iran’s consulate in Pakistan. The state news agency IRNA reported that Pakistan, Iran’s eastern neighbor and mediator in talks with the US, facilitated the return of the seafarers.
Crew Handed Over to Iranian Diplomats in Karachi
According to IRNA, the crew were handed over to Iranian diplomats in Karachi and are expected to return to Iran in the coming days. The Iranian consulate general in Karachi also confirmed the crew’s arrival, stating that the 22 sailors “will return to their homeland in the coming days.” Neither IRNA nor Iranian authorities identified the tanker or disclosed where or when it was seized.
Context of the Seizure and Broader Conflict
The development comes months after the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28, killing former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei along with several senior military commanders. In response, Iran launched missile and drone attacks on countries in the region and closed the strategic Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20 percent of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas shipments normally transit.
US Blockade and Seizure of Iranian Vessels
US forces subsequently imposed a blockade on vessels bound for or departing from Iranian ports and seized a number of ships linked to Iran, striking others with missiles. The sides reached an agreement in mid-June to end months of hostilities and begin gradually lifting their respective maritime blockades.
