According to a senior official, the Indian sailor on board the vessel in Iranian custody is safe. The vessel is said to have moved towards the eastern side of the Strait of Hormuz, which is considered a safer area compared to its previous location. The center said the overall flight situation is steadily improving and more flights are operating from the region to India.
The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said on Friday that Indian vessels and crew are being closely monitored.
On April 22, Iran captured two foreign container ships attempting to leave the strait and opened fire on a third vessel in retaliation for the United States’ naval blockade of Iranian ports and the seizure of Iranian-flagged ships. According to PTI, Iranian guards boarded and took control of the container ships Francesca and Epaminondas.
Francesca has no Indian nationals on board, while Epaminondas has one Indian out of 21 crew members. The third vessel, Euphoria, a container ship sailing under Panama that came under fire, has 21 Indian sailors on board.
“All Indian seafarers in the region are safe and no incident involving Indian-flagged vessels has been reported in the last 24 hours. The DG Shipping control room remains operational 24/7 and has handled 7,553 calls and over 16,033 emails since activation, including 150 calls and 394 emails in the last 24 hours,” the ministry said.
“Safe repatriation of over 2,729 Indian seafarers so far”
The central government added that around 12,38,000 passengers had traveled from the region to India since February 28.
Read also | Wall Street rises on renewed hopes for peace talks between the US and Iran
It said: “The overall flight situation continues to improve, with more flights operating from the region to India. Since February 28, approximately 12,38,000 passengers have traveled from the region to India.”
“The Directorate General of Shipping has so far facilitated the safe repatriation of over 2,729 Indian seafarers, including 49 in the last 24 hours from various locations in the Gulf region,” the ministry said.
After Iranian guards captured the vessel, it was first located on the western side of the Strait of Hormuz. It has now shifted to the eastern side, which is considered relatively safer. Since the western side is under the control of Iranian forces, ships trying to leave the conflict zone must move east to leave the area.
Read also | America’s war in Iran LIVE: Iran confirms Abbas Araghchi’s trip to Pakistan
A third ship, the Euphoria, carrying 21 Indian sailors, was already on the eastern side of the strait. The official added that no incidents involving Indian-flagged vessels have been reported in the last 24 hours. However, 13 Indian-flagged ships and one Indian-owned vessel have remained stranded on the western side since the West Asian conflict began nearly two months ago.
Read also | Iranian FM Abbas Araghchi is expected in Pakistan tonight, state media say
Earlier this week, British maritime security company Vanguard Tech said a Liberian-flagged container ship that came under fire in the Strait of Hormuz had been cleared to pass through the waterway. However, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency claimed the vessel had ignored warnings issued by Iranian forces before the incident.
The shooting came after the United States seized an Iranian merchant ship in the Sea of Oman. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has accused Washington of violating the ceasefire and carrying out “armed piracy”, claiming that US forces fired on the Iranian vessel and disabled its navigation systems.
