Pakistan seeks Singapore's support in repatriating nationals, Iranians aboard vessels seized by US

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday said that he had spoken with Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and requested the country’s support in facilitating the “welfare and repatriation” of 11 Pakistanis and 20 Iranians aboard vessels seized by the United States.

In a post on the social media platform X, he said that the vessels were currently near Singaporean waters. He said that he also spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi “as we remain in close coordination on the matter”.

“Pakistan also stands ready to facilitate the safe repatriation of Iranian nationals to Iran via Pakistan,” he said.

“We appreciate the cooperation and support being extended by Singapore. Pakistan, through its Foreign Office and relevant authorities, is closely coordinating with US authorities and others to ensure the safety, welfare, and earliest possible return of our nationals,” he said.

Meanwhile, regarding the phone call between Dar and the Singaporean foreign minister, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Thursday that the latter appreciated the former’s efforts and Pakistan’s role in promoting peace and stability in the region through facilitating dialogue between the US and Iran.

It said that DPM Dar reaffirmed Pakistan’s continued efforts towards peace and development in the region and beyond.

’“The two sides discussed matters related to maritime affairs and recent incidents in international waters. They agreed to closely coordinate between the relevant authorities of the two countries,” it said.

“The two leaders also discussed bilateral relations and underscored the importance of high-level exchanges. They agreed to remain in touch,” the FO said.

The development comes days after Pakis­tan facilitated the return of crew members from a US-seized Iranian vessel, with at least 15 sailors having reached the neighbouring country on Monday.

According to the FO, the transfer of crew members was part of “confidence-building measures”.

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

At the time, the US Central Command said the ship’s crew “failed to comply with repeated warnings over a six-hour period”. “American forces issued multiple warnings and informed the Iranian-flagged vessel it was in violation of the US blockade,” it said.

In the phone call with DPM Dar on Thursday, Iran’s Araghchi had thanked Pakistan for “facilitating the repatriation of Iranian nationals from the seized vessels and appreciated Pakistan’s continued diplomatic and humanitarian support in this regard”.

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 on, and Iran seized several other ships. Last month, the US imposed its own blockade of ships from Iranian ports.