Iran says all crew members of seized ship released on 'humanitarian' grounds

Shafaq News/ Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said Iran has released all crew members of the MSC Aries, which it seized in Iranian territorial waters on a judicial order last month, Report informs via Press TV.

Amir-Abdollahian made the announcement on Thursday in a phone conversation with his Estonian counterpart, Margus Tsahkna, who thanked the Islamic Republic for the gesture.

An Estonian citizen is among the crew members on the MSC Aries, a commercial ship with links to Israel, which the special naval forces of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) seized near the Strait of Hormuz on April 13.

"The seized ship, which had turned off its transponders in the territorial waters of Iran and jeopardized the safety of navigation, is under judicial confiscation, but Iran has released all its crew on humanitarian grounds," Amir-Abdollahian said.

"If the ship's captain cooperates, they can return to their country, including to Estonia," he said.

"Adherence to maritime laws and regulations by all ships is necessary and inevitable in order to maintain maritime safety," the Iranian foreign minister added.

The MSC Aries was impounded by the Sepah Navy Special Force (SNSF) in a heliborne operation and rappelling of forces on the ship's deck

A video released by IRGC at the time of the capture showed SNSF commandos rappelling down onto a stack of containers sitting on the deck of the vessel.