Kerala cadet, the only one aboard the Iran-seized ship, returns to India

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday that Ann Tessa Joseph, a female deck cadet who was one among the 17 Indian sailors aboard the MSC Aries ship that Iran had taken over, had returned home.

 

On Thursday afternoon, Joseph arrived at the Cochin airport from Thrissur, Kerala. The MEA said that this was the outcome of the Iranian government’s and the Indian mission in Tehran’s coordinated efforts.

The cargo vessel’s remaining sixteen Indian crew members are in communication with the Indian mission stationed in Iran. They maintain communication with their family in India and are in excellent health. The government said that they should return to India shortly. The Native Americans are not detained and remain at large. According to an Iranian source, they are commanded by their captain and are free to return to India.

In the most recent development in the rapidly rising tensions in West Asia, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards captured the Israeli-affiliated cargo ship (MSC Aries) on April 13 that was carrying 17 Indian crew members.

The 17 Indian sailors are not detained and are free, according to an earlier statement from an Iranian official. “We would like to reiterate that they are in fine shape and that we are in contact with the Indian Ambassador in Iran. The weather has been the sole reason they haven’t been able to get to the coast. A source from Iran said that none of the Indian sailors were being detained.

Upon arriving at Cochin Airport, Ann Tessa Joseph, a deck cadet, was among the 17 Indian Indian nationals on board the confiscated vessel MSC Aries.
Attacks on ships near India are a “grave concern,” according to Jaishankar, regarding the Red Sea situation

In an effort to secure their release, the Indian government spoke with Iran often. In a conversation with his Iranian counterpart, H Amirabdollahian, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar pushed for the release of these 17 Indians. “I brought up the release of 17 Indians in MSC Aires during my conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Amirabdolahian. We spoke about the state of affairs in the area and emphasized the need to prevent escalation, practice moderation, and get back to diplomacy,” Jaishankar had said on Sunday. He also promised to stay in contact with Amirabdolahian.

He expressed his alarm about the events in a chat he had with Israel’s Foreign Minister, Israel Katz. “We agreed to stay in touch and discussed the broader regional situation,” he said.

Marine Traffic, a source of nautical analytics, said that MSC Aires was in route to Mumbai from the United Arab Emirates. Pinarayi Vijayan, the chief minister of Kerala, had already written to Jaishankar to assure the citizens’ safety.

emphasized how crucial it is to prevent escalation

EAM S. Jaishankar urged for the release of these 17 Indians in a conversation with his Iranian counterpart, H. Amirabdollahian. Jaishankar had said, “We emphasized the significance of preventing escalation, exercising restraint, and going back to diplomacy.”