Iran has released the entire crew of the Portuguese-flagged cargo ship MSC Aries. The crew consists of 25 people including 17 Indians. Cadet Ann Tessa Joseph, the only woman among the Indian crew members, had already been released by the Iranian Army. According to the information, Iran's Foreign Minister Amir Abdullahiyan spoke to Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkana on phone on Friday, during which he informed about the release of the crew.
Told to contact Indian Embassy
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has advised that if Indians travel to Israel and Iran, they should exercise caution and contact the Indian Embassy. White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said the crew included Indian, Filipino, Pakistani, Russian and Estonian nationals.
Regarding the Portuguese ship seized in the territorial waters of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Amir Abdollahian said in a conversation that the ship compromised the security of our waters by turning off its radar. Therefore he was detained under judicial rules.