15 crew members of US-seized Iranian vessel arrive in Iran

Fifteen members of the US-seized Iranian vessel MV Touska arrived in Iran, the country's semi-official Fars news agency reported on Monday.

Their arrival came after Pakistan said it will hand over to Tehran on Monday the 22 crew members of the vessel, describing the move as a “confidence-building measure” between Tehran and Washington amid tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.

Islamabad “welcomes such confidence-building measures and will continue to facilitate dialogue and diplomacy while pursuing ongoing mediation efforts for regional peace and security,” Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Sunday that US forces had transferred the 22 crew members from the MV Touska to Pakistan for repatriation.

US naval forces seized the vessel on April 19 in the Gulf of Oman, which connects the Arabian Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, after it reportedly failed to comply with a blockade imposed by Washington on Iranian ports.

Six additional passengers had already been transferred to another regional country for repatriation last week, according to CENTCOM spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins.

“These returns are being coordinated with the support of both the Iranian and US sides,” the ministry added.

Tensions in the region have escalated after the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, triggering retaliation from Tehran against Israel, as well as US allies in the Gulf, along with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Since April 13, the US has enforced a naval blockade targeting Iranian maritime traffic in the strategic waterway.

A two-week ceasefire was announced on April 8 through Pakistani mediation, followed by direct talks in Islamabad on April 11, but no agreement was reached on a lasting truce.

US President Donald Trump later extended the ceasefire without setting a new deadline, following a request from Pakistan.