Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced on Friday that 22 Iranian crew members from a tanker recently seized by the United States have safely reached Karachi. Efforts are currently underway to arrange their return to Iran.
Dar highlighted that Pakistan maintained close communication with both US and Iranian authorities throughout the entire process. The government is working closely with Iranian diplomatic missions to ensure the early repatriation of the crew.
He described this group as the fourth batch of Iranian crew members whose passage has been facilitated by Pakistan over the last two months. To date, Pakistan has assisted in repatriating more than 70 Iranian nationals through its territory.
Expressing gratitude towards the Iranian leadership for their trust, Dar also commended the efforts of officials from the Foreign Ministry and other agencies involved in this humanitarian coordination.
The tanker, identified as Lenore/Davina, was among several commercial vessels intercepted by US forces amid the conflict between the United States and Iran, which began on February 28 and concluded with the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
During this period, US authorities intercepted vessels linked to Iran in the Persian Gulf and international waters. One notable incident involved the M/V Touska, a container ship operated by the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL), which US forces boarded near Iran’s Chabahar port in the Gulf of Oman on April 19.
Pakistani officials confirmed that six crew members from the Touska were released on April 29, while the remaining 22 were transferred to Pakistan on May 4. These crew members subsequently returned to Iran via a land border crossing. The vessel itself was brought to Pakistan for repairs before being returned to its owners.
In a significant development on May 15, Dar announced that Pakistan had also facilitated the safe repatriation of 11 Pakistani nationals and 20 Iranian crew members from vessels seized by the United States.
He emphasized the government’s ongoing commitment to protecting the welfare of Pakistanis abroad and assisting friendly nations on humanitarian grounds.
