The crew of the hijacked ship MCS Aries has been released. This was announced by the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic Hossein Amir Abdolakhyan in a telephone conversation with his Estonian colleague Margus Tsakhkna.
According to Abdolakhian, the detained ship, which turned off its radar in Iranian territorial waters and endangered maritime traffic, is under judicial arrest.
„For humanitarian reasons, Iran has already released the entire crew, accompanied by the captain. They can return to their countries, including Estonia”. Abdolakhian's statement was quoted by the Telegram channel of the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
On April 13, it was reported that the naval forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps detained the merchant ship MSC Aries in the Strait of Hormuz. According to Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Khanani, the MCS Aries had ties to Israel and was detained “for violating maritime law and ignoring the demands of Iranian authorities”. According to the Associated Press, the container ship MSC Aries sails under the Portuguese flag. British company Zodiac Maritime, part of Israeli entrepreneur Eyal Ofer's Zodiac Group, confirmed a link to the hijacked ship. The MSC Aries crew included an Estonian resident status holder. In connection with the detention of the ship, the interim ruler of Iran was summoned to the Estonian Foreign Ministry.