The United States transferred the 22-person crew of an Iranian vessel that American forces seized last month, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said on Monday.
The ministry described the transfer as a “confidence-building measure” and said in a statement the individuals were flown to Pakistan on Sunday and will be handed over to Iranian authorities on Monday, though it did not say where they were flown from.
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Their statement did not specify how the crew members would be returned to Iran either, though it said the ship “will be backloaded to Pakistani territorial waters for return to its original powers after necessary repairs.”
CENTCOM spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins confirmed to the Washington Examiner the 22 crew members were repatriated to Iran on Sunday, and he noted that, “six other passengers were already transferred to a regional country for repatriation last week,” also to Iran.
U.S. forces have imposed a blockade of vessels going to or coming from Iranian ports in retaliation for Iran’s attacks on vessels that transit the waterways off their coast that do not pay and coordinate with them.
On April 19, the Iranian-flagged M/V Touska tried to breach the American blockade and ignore orders from U.S. troops. After ignoring repeated warnings, U.S. sailors directed the crew of the M/V Touska to leave the engine room, and then the USS Spruance fired nine inert rounds from the destroyer’s mark 45 five-inch guns to disable its engine.
U.S. Marines later boarded the vessel via helicopter and seized the ship.
“Via helicopters, US Marines maneuvered quickly to the disabled ship, boarded her from fast ropes via helicopter infiltration methods, and took custody of the ship,” Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on April 24. “The ship and her crew remain safe in US custody today.”
Pakistan has proven to be a key moderator in the U.S. war against Iran, including acting as an intermediary to convey proposals back and forth between the two sides. Pakistan helped broker the ceasefire agreement, which remains intact.
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Over the weekend, President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. military will “guide” ships through the strait to ensure their safety from Iranian attacks. On Monday, U.S. Central Command said two U.S.-flagged merchant vessels successfully transited the strait.
Trump’s announcement, he said, comes as his “representatives are having very positive discussions with the Country of Iran, and that these discussions could lead to something very positive for all.”
U.S. and Iranian officials have held one round of in-person talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, in mid-April, while a second round of talks was called off. The two sides appear to be at a stalemate, where neither side has shown a real willingness to compromise on several of the issues.
