Six out of the 28 crew members of the Iranian container ship Touska, which was captured by the United States, have been freed and returned to Iran. Efforts are ongoing to secure the release of the remaining crew, who Iran claims are being held as hostages by the US government. The Iranian-flagged vessel was seized by US forces near Iran’s Chabahar port on April 19.
Iran has criticized the seizure as an act of piracy and stated that their armed forces did not intervene during the capture due to the presence of crew members’ families on board. Iran has warned of potential military action against the US maritime blockade, labeling it as “piracy and banditry.” The country’s armed forces have emphasized that they have limits to their patience and will respond if the US continues its illegal actions.
In response to the US seizing Iranian ships in international waters, Iran’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, has condemned these actions as illegal coercion and interference in legal trade. Iravani has labeled the US seizures of Iranian vessels as “maritime piracy” in a letter addressed to the UN and Security Council. The United States has enforced a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, impacting ships traveling to and from Iranian ports.
