Pakistan facilitated the arrival of 22 Iranian crew members after they were released from a tanker previously seized by the United States, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced on Friday.
The Iranian Crew arrived in Pakistan after serving aboard the tanker M/T Davina, which had been intercepted during heightened tensions between the United States and Iran.
In a statement shared on X, Dar said arrangements were being finalised with Iranian diplomatic missions in Pakistan to ensure the crew’s earliest and safe return to Iran.
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“We remained in close contact with the US and Iranian authorities throughout this process,” he said.
Dar added that this marked the fourth group of Iranian crew members whose repatriation Pakistan had supported during the last two months.
According to the foreign minister, Pakistan has now assisted more than 70 Iranian nationals, including the latest group of 22, through its territory and thanked Tehran for the confidence shown in Pakistan’s support.
During the conflict, which began on February 28 and later ended under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), US forces carried out maritime interdictions involving commercial vessels linked to Iran in regional and international waters.
One of the incidents involved the M/V Touska container ship, which was boarded near Iran’s Chabahar port in the Gulf of Oman in April. The vessel belonged to the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL), which faces US sanctions.
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Earlier operations also led to the release and evacuation of several crew members through Pakistan before their return to Iran.
On May 15, Dar announced that Pakistan had successfully assisted in the repatriation of 11 Pakistani and 20 Iranian nationals who had been aboard vessels intercepted at sea.
He said all individuals remained in good health and stressed that protecting citizens abroad and supporting people in distress continues to remain a government priority.
