The remaining 24 crew members of the MSC Aries container vessel, seized in the Strait of Hormuz by Iran on April 13 on suspicion of “violating maritime laws”, have been released following diplomatic intervention by the seafarers’ countries of origin with the government in Tehran.
The release on “humanitarian grounds” comes after Ann Tessa Joseph, a ship’s cadet from India and the only female member of the 15 000-TEU carrier’s crew, was released on April 18.
The release of the rest of the crew of the Portugal-flagged MSC Aries was made possible through initial intervention by Portugal’s foreign minister, Paulo Rangel, with his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.
Since Saturday’s telephonic deliberation between the two foreign ministers, their Estonian peer, Margus Tsahkna had also spoken to Amir-Abdollahian.
Amir-Abdollahian apparently told Tsahkna that the vessel had been seized by members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps because the Aries had allegedly turned off its transponders as it sailed through Iranian territorial water, jeopardising “the security of navigation”.
However, according to Safety 4 Sea, Iran is also on record as stating that the Aries is leased by MSC from Gortal Shipping, a subsidiary of Zodiac Maritime, in which Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer holds partial ownership.
The release of the crew through “consular access” granted by Iran’s government bodes well for the current level of maritime risk in the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
Alongside the Aries, three tankers remained seized off the coast of Iran’s Port of Bandar Abbas – the St Nicholas, Advantage Sweet and Niovi.
Uncertainty and a lack of information also suffuses the fate of the crew of the Galaxy Leader autoliner that was brazenly hijacked by armed Islamic militia on November 19 in the southern Red Sea, setting off a spate of sporadic attacks on maritime trade that has disrupted vessel traffic through the Suez Canal.
Along with about 4 500 automotive units, a crew of 17 Filipinos, two Bulgarians, three Ukrainians, two Mexicans and a Romanian remains in the vicinity of Yemen’s Port of Hodeidah where the Leader was diverted to by Houthi rebels.
