India has gained consular access to 18 Indian crew members of a British oil tanker that was captured by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps in the Strait of Hormuz on July 20.
“Received an update on ‘Stena Impero’,” Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan tweeted on Thursday night. “Our Embassy availed consular access today [Thursday] evening. All 18 Indian crew members on board are safe and doing fine. Will continue to push for their early release.”
The Revolutionary Guard Corps had seized the tanker with 23 crew members for allegedly violating international maritime regulations.
Meanwhile, unidentified government officials said Iran had released nine out of 12 Indians on board MT Riah, a ship detained by Iran earlier this month, PTI reported. However, three Indian crew members of MT Riah are still under detention.
Twenty-four Indian crew members on board Iranian shipping vessel Grace 1, which was detained by the Royal Gibraltar Police authorities, are also under detention. Gibraltar is a British overseas territory on Spain’s south coast.
Indian officials have met the Indians and assured them that the government will take necessary steps to ensure their release and repatriation, the External Affairs Ministry said on Thursday, according to PTI. “Of the 24 Indian nationals on board four have been arrested but released on bail,” Muraleedharan had tweeted on Wednesday. “Senior officials of our Mission in London expected to get consular access by this [Wednesday] evening.”
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