Iran Releases Indian Crew Members From the Detained British-Flagged Oil Vessel

In a major relief, Iran has released the seven Indian crew members the Revolutionary Guard Corps had detained after they had seized the British-flagged oil tanker Stena Impero on 19 July, reports Asian News International (ANI).

Releasing the men, Iranian Foreign Ministry's spokesperson said that his country had no problem with the crew or the captain of the ship. He said, "The ship has been stopped because of its violation of laws and it is natural to detain the crew with the ship."

The tanker had been seized by Iran amidst simmering ties with the United States and the United Kingdom. At the moment of seizure, the ship was sailing at the Strait of Hormuz. The detained included 23 men, of whom 18 belonged to India.

After the detention, India had requested consular access for its men. After the review of the individual permits and the consular status, India got consular access to the Indian crew members recently.