Fifteen out of the 22 crew members of an Iranian container ship seized by the United States have returned to Iran. The vessel, named Touska, was captured by US forces near Chabahar in the Gulf of Oman on April 19. The ship had a total of 28 crew members, with six being released earlier.
The United States had imposed restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz after failed negotiations with Iran in Islamabad. The M/V Touska, part of a fleet connected to Chinese ports, was suspected of being involved in transporting materials with potential military applications. The vessel had recently visited the Chinese port of Zhuhai before its seizure.
The Iranian-flagged Touska is operated by a sanctioned Iranian company allegedly linked to Tehran’s ballistic missile program. US officials have not disclosed the ship’s cargo contents. The attempt to breach a US naval blockade indicates the cargo’s potential significance, according to analysts.
