11 Pakistanis, 20 Iranians aboard US-seized vessels repatriated, says DPM Dar

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Friday that 11 Pakistanis and 20 Iranians, aboard vessels seized by the United States on the high seas, were successfully repatriated.

Last week, Pakistan reached out to Singaporean authorities for their support in facilitating the “welfare and repatriation” of the crew members. Dar noted that the vessels were near Singaporean waters at the time.

“All individuals are in good health and high spirits,” Dar wrote in a post on X, adding that the welfare of Pakistanis abroad, particularly those in distress, remains the government’s highest priority.

“All individuals have reached Bangkok from Singapore and already boarded the flight scheduled to reach Islamabad later tonight,” he added. “Our [Iranian] brothers will then be facilitated to return to their homeland.”

In the post, Dar extended his gratitude to Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Bala, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow for their support in repatriating the 31 seamen.

The Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping lane off the coast of Iran, has been virtually blocked by Tehran since the United States and Israel started bombing Iran on February 28.

Some vessels attempting to transit the Strait have reported being fired upon, with Iran and the US seizing several other ships. Last month, the US imposed its own blockade on ships from Iranian ports.

US forces boarded and seized the M/V Touska container ship on April 19. The vessel, which was part of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) group — which has been hit with US sanctions — was boarded off the coast of Iran’s Chabahar port in the Gulf of Oman.

On April 29, six of the crew members were freed, while on May 4, the remaining 22 were evacuated to Pakistan, before returning to Iran via a land border crossing. The Touska was also backloaded to Pakistan for repairs before being returned to its owners.

Similarly, on April 23, US forces boarded and seized the M/T Majestic X oil tanker in the Indian Ocean, according to the Department of War.