New Delhi : Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian on Friday confirmed that Iran has released all the ship’s crew members on humanitarian grounds.
Today, the Iranian foreign minister held telephonic conversation with Estonian foreign minister Margus Rakhna. Both the sides discussed the latest state of bilateral ties and regional developments.
It is pertinent to note that there were a total of 17 Indians in the 25 member crew of MSC Aries, which was taken over by a special forces unit of the IRGC in the strait of Hormuz on April 13. Ann Tessa Joseph, the sole woman among the Indian crew members, returned home on April 18.
Further, the Iranian and Estonian foreign ministers pointed to the existence of opportunities and capacities for cooperation between Iran and Estonia and stressed mutual readiness to further expand bilateral relations.
Regarding the developments in Palestine, Amirabdollahian said the depth of the genocide and the crimes by the Zionists in Gaza requires all countries to work hard toward establishing a lasting ceasefire in the region, completely removing the human blockade, exchanging prisoners, and preventing new crimes by the Israeli regime in Gaza.
In response to the request of the Estonian side regarding the Portuguese ship seized in the territorial waters of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the release of the Estonian crew, Amirabdollahian said the ship, which turned off its radar in the territorial waters of Iran and endangered the security of navigation, is detained under judicial rules.
He however noted that Iran has already released all the ship’s crew members on humanitarian grounds, and if the ship’s captain accompanies them, the crew including the Estonians can return to their country.
Amirabdollahian underlined that compliance with maritime rules and regulations by all ships is necessary and unavoidable in order to maintain maritime safety.
Margus Tsahkna, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, said his country considers relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran as important. He then expressed hope that the ties between the two sides will expand even further after the removal of obstacles.
Estonian’s foreign minister also referred to regional crises and called for cooperation among all countries to stop the war in Gaza. He appreciated Iran’s humanitarian approach and its efforts to release the crew members of the seized Portuguese ship.
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