Washington releases the crew of the “Tosca”... Iran receives the sailors via Pakistan

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry announced today that the crew members of the Iranian cargo ship “Tosca” had been handed over to the Iranian authorities, weeks after the vessel was detained by US forces on charges of attempting to breach the naval blockade imposed on Iranian ports.

The ministry explained that 22 sailors who had been on board the ship were airlifted to Pakistani territory over the past few hours, before procedures were completed for their return to Iran, in a step it described as part of “confidence-building measures” among the parties concerned.

It also indicated that the vessel would later be returned to Pakistani territorial waters, in preparation for handing it back to its original owners after the completion of the required maintenance and repair work.