Ann Tessa Joseph, who is from Thrissur in Kerala, arrived at Cochin International Airport on Thursday afternoon.
New Delhi: The single woman among 17 Indian crew members on a cargo ship linked to Israel, seized by Iran, was released on Thursday. Now, Indian officials are cooperating with Iran to ensure the safety of the remaining sailors.
Ann Tessa Joseph, a resident of Thrissur, Kerala, was let free by the Iranian government and the Indian embassy in Tehran, according to a statement released by the external affairs ministry on Thursday afternoon. Joseph flew to Cochin International Airport.
The 17 Indians were part of the 25-member crew of the container ship MSC Aries, which was taken by a special forces unit of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the Strait of Hormuz on April 13. Iran’s foreign ministry stated this week that the vessel was seized for violating maritime laws.
External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal mentioned in a post on X that the Indian embassy helped Joseph come back to India with the “support of Iranian authorities.” He added that the embassy is staying in contact with Iran to make sure the other 16 Indian crew members are safe. Jaiswal also shared a photo of Joseph being welcomed at Cochin airport by the regional passport officer.
According to the external affairs ministry, the Indian embassy in Tehran “remains seized of the matter” and is in contact with the remaining 16 Indian crew members, who are in good health and in contact with their family members in India.
External affairs minister S Jaishankar discussed the release of the Indian seafarers with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian during a phone call on April 14. Jaishankar expressed worry about the crew members’ situation and asked for help from Iran. At that time, Amir-Abdollahian assured that Indian officials would be permitted to meet the Indian crew members.
The Indian crew members on the Portuguese-flagged cargo vessel include the ship’s master. Additionally, there are four Filipinos, two Pakistanis, one Russian, and one Estonian among the crew.
The Italian-Swiss shipping group MSC has stated that it’s collaborating with the appropriate authorities to guarantee the welfare of the crew. The vessel is linked with London-based Zodiac Maritime, a division of Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer’s Zodiac Group.
India intervened on multiple occasions since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas conflict to defend ships carrying Indian crew members from Iranian proxy forces, including the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Last week, India issued an advisory advising its citizens against traveling to Iran or Israel due to the escalating tensions between the two nations. It also urged all Indian nationals residing in these countries to exercise utmost caution.
