US evacuates 22 crew from seized Iranian ship to Pakistan
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Islamabad: The United States has evacuated 22 crew members from an Iranian ship seized by its forces and transferred them to Pakistan as a “confidence-building measure”, Pakistan’s Foreign Office said on Monday.
The vessel, MV Touska, part of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL)—which is under US sanctions—was boarded and seized by US forces on April 19 off Iran’s Chabahar port in the Gulf of Oman, according to a report by Dawn.
“As a confidence-building measure by the United States of America, twenty-two crew members held aboard the seized Iranian container ship, ‘MV Touska’, have been evacuated to Pakistan,” the Foreign Office said in a statement.
It added that the vessel will be brought into Pakistani territorial waters for necessary repairs before being returned to its original owners. The process is being coordinated with support from both Iran and the United States.
Pakistan welcomed the move, stating it would continue to facilitate dialogue and diplomacy while pursuing mediation efforts aimed at regional peace and security.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who also serves as Deputy Prime Minister, confirmed that the crew members had been “safely” evacuated and flown to Pakistan.
“The individuals were safely flown to Pakistan last night and will be transferred to Iran today,” Dar said in a social media post.
“These actions are being coordinated with the support of both the Iranian and the US authorities and surely constitute an important confidence-building measure,” he added, expressing appreciation to both countries.
The development comes amid ongoing tensions linked to the Iran conflict, triggered by joint US and Israeli strikes on February 28. Hostilities have been on hold since April 8, with at least one round of peace talks held in Islamabad.
The Strait of Hormuz remains a key point of concern in the negotiations. The strategic waterway, through which nearly one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas supplies pass, has seen severe disruption due to the conflict, leading to a sharp rise in oil prices and energy shortages in several countries.
With PTI inputs