Kerala Woman Cadet among 17 Crew Members Onboard Ship Seized by Iran, Returns Home Safely, Says MEA

Ann Tessa Joseph, a woman cadet among 17 Indians onboard the seized container vessel MSC Aries, returned to Cochin after being contacted by the Indian mission in Tehran and the Iranian government. The Indian mission is in contact with the remaining crew members.

New Delhi: In a significant diplomatic win and 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 arrived safely at the Cochin International Airport on Thursday afternoon.

At the airport, Joseph was received by the Regional Passport Officer, Cochin, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday.
The Ministry of External Affairs further said that 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 Indian Mission is also in touch with the Iranian authorities to ensure the well-being of the remaining crew members of MSC Aries. Earlier, External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar had spoken to his Iranian counterpart Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian on the matter”, MEA added.

The development comes right after External Affairs Minister Dr Jaishankar, given the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict, called on the Iranian Foreign Minister Abdollahian on Monday, 15 April and raised the matter of the 17 Indian crew members on board the MSC Aries, an Israeli-affiliated container ship captured by Iran near the Strait of Hormuz last week.

Following talks with Dr Jaishankar, the Iranian Foreign Minister assured that arrangements will soon be made for representatives of the Indian government to meet with the crew members of the vessel in question".

“This (MSC Aries) was a Portuguese-flagged ship. It was taken over by an Iranian force. The ship was then made to proceed towards Iran … I spoke with my Iranian counterpart, I pressed him, I said there were 17 crew members from India and we were making the point to the Iranian government that these people should be released and they should not be detained,” Jaishankar earlier told media in Bangalore.

Meanwhile, Iran has said that India should play its role in the United Nations and seek to halt the war in Gaza even as Tehran is seeking “a sustainable ceasefire in Gaza and the establishment of peace and security across the region, extending from the Mediterranean coast to the Red Sea.

It is worth noting that India, in the light of the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict, has called for immediate de-escalation, exercise of restraint, stepping back from violence and returning to the path of diplomacy.

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