Dar says another group of 22 Iranian crew members arrive in Pakistan after US interdiction

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Friday that 22 Iranian crew members of a tanker seized by the United States had arrived safely in Karachi, with arrangements under way for their return to Iran.

In a post on X, Dar said Pakistan had remained in close contact with US and Iranian authorities throughout the process and was coordinating with Iranian diplomatic missions to facilitate the crew’s early repatriation.

“I am pleased to share that twenty-two Iranian crew members of the vessel Lenore/Davina, recently interdicted by US authorities, have safely arrived in Karachi this afternoon,” Dar said.

He said the group was the fourth batch of Iranian crew members whose return had been facilitated by Pakistan over the past two months.

“So far we have assisted in the repatriation of more than 70 Iranian brethren through Pakistani territory,” Dar said, thanking the Iranian leadership for its trust in Pakistan and commending officials from the Foreign Ministry and other institutions for their efforts.

The tanker was among several commercial vessels intercepted by US forces during the conflict between the United States and Iran, which began on February 28 and ended with the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

During the conflict, US forces intercepted commercial vessels linked to Iran in the Persian Gulf and international waters.

Among them was the M/V Touska, a container ship operated by the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL), which was boarded by US forces off Iran’s Chabahar port in the Gulf of Oman on April 19.

According to Pakistani officials, six crew members from the vessel were released on April 29, while the remaining 22 were transferred to Pakistan on May 4 before returning to Iran through a land border crossing. The vessel was also brought to Pakistan for repairs before being handed back to its owners.

On May 15, Dar announced that Pakistan had also facilitated the repatriation of 11 Pakistani nationals and 20 Iranian crew members from vessels seized by the United States, saying all had returned safely.

He said the government remained committed to the welfare of Pakistanis abroad and to assisting friendly countries on humanitarian grounds.