Container shipping company MSC confirmed today that the crew of the ‘MSC Aries’, seized on Saturday by Iran, are safe and added that there are “ongoing discussions” with the Iranian authorities for their release.
In a statement, MSC recalled that the ship “was seized by the Iranian authorities on April 13 in the Strait of Hormuz while transiting international waters” and stressed that the 25 crew members, most of whom are Indian, “are well”.
“We are also working with the Iranian authorities to release the cargo,” said the company, considering that the episode “is serious”.
“The [ship] ‘MSC Aries’ is owned by Fortal Shipping Inc. and has been leased by MSC,” the statement said, guaranteeing that “it will continue to provide an uninterrupted and regular service” in the region.
The ship, which was flying a Portuguese flag (registered in the Autonomous Region of Madeira), was seized on Saturday by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard for allegedly being linked to the Zodiac Maritime Limited group, partly owned by Israeli millionaire Eyal Ofer.
According to Tehran, “the ship was directed to Iranian territorial waters due to a violation of international maritime regulations”.
On Tuesday, Portugal summoned the Iranian ambassador to Lisbon to protest against the recent attacks against Israel and to demand the “immediate release” of the ‘MSC Aries’.
At the meeting, Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel insisted on “demanding the immediate release of the ship ‘MSC Aries’, in light of Portugal’s obligations as a flag state”.
“The release of the crew, who must be treated with dignity while the ship remains under arrest, was also demanded, as the explanations given so far are not consistent,” added the Portuguese government.