The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said today that an Indian sailor who was part of the crew of a cargo ship that was taken by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on April 13 close to the Strait of Hormuz has returned home safely.
“With the concerted efforts of the Indian mission in Tehran and the Iranian government, Indian deck cadet Ann Tessa Joseph from Thrissur, Kerala, who was among the Indian crew members of container vessel MSC Aries, has landed safely at Cochin International Airport,” Randhir Jaiswal, a spokesperson for the MEA, wrote a.
“The Indian mission in Tehran remains seized of the matter and is in touch with the remaining 16 Indian crew members of the container vessel. The crew members are in good health and in contact with their family members in India,” the MEA stated in a statement.
According to the government, India and Iranian authorities are in communication to guarantee the safety of the other crew members.
Prior to this, Iranian Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a conversation over the issue.
Mr. Jaishankar wrote on X following Ms. Joseph’s arrival in India, saying, “Excellent work, Indian mission in Iran.” I’m glad Ms. Ann Tessa Joseph made it home. Whether at home or abroad, the Modi ki promise consistently delivers.”
The Middle East is experiencing increased tensions at the time of the vessel’s capture. There are fears that Israel will unleash a response on Iran after it fired 300 missiles at Israel. Prior to that, Israel nearly destroyed the Iranian consular part of the embassy in Damascus, Syria. Two generals and seven other civilians were slain in the airstrike.
The ship is “related to the Zionist regime (Israel) in the Gulf,” according to Iran. According to vesselfinder.com and marinetraffic.com, two services that monitor shipping activity, the MSC Aries is a container ship flying the Portuguese flag, and its last known location was in the Gulf.
