Dar announces the arrival of 22 Iranian crew members in Karachi

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday announced the safe arrival of 22 Iranian crew members of the vessel Lenore/Davina in Karachi, which had recently been interdicted by US authorities, and said arrangements were being finalized for their earliest return to Iran.

“I am happy to share that twenty-two Iranian crew members of the vessel Lenore/Davina, which was recently interdicted by US authorities, have arrived safely in Karachi this afternoon,” Dar said in a post on X.

He said that Pakistan was working closely with the Iranian diplomatic missions to facilitate the safe and early repatriation of the crew members to their homeland.

“Arrangements are now being finalized in close cooperation with the Iranian missions in Pakistan to facilitate their earliest and secure return to their homeland,” he said.

The deputy prime minister said Pakistan had been in close contact with both the US and Iranian authorities throughout the process.

According to Dar, the latest batch was the fourth batch of Iranian crew members whose repatriation has been facilitated by Pakistan over the past two months. He said Pakistan has so far assisted in the repatriation of more than 70 Iranian nationals, including the latest batch of 22, through its territory.

Dar, who expressed gratitude to the Iranian leadership, said he appreciated the trust reposed by Pakistan to facilitate the repatriation process.

“I also commend the dedicated efforts of the team at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and all the Pakistani institutions for their professionalism and commitment to ensure the smooth and safe repatriation of our Iranian brothers to their homeland,” he said.

On February 28, the United States and Israel launched a joint offensive against Iran. Iran responded with its own attacks on Israel and the Gulf states that host US bases. The US began intercepting Iranian ships during the course of the conflict.

Earlier in May, Pakistan had facilitated the transfer of 22 Iranian crew members on board the container ship MV Touska, which had been seized by US forces in the Gulf of Oman. Pakistani officials had described the move as a “confidence-building measure” between Washington and Tehran.

Later that month, Pakistan had announced the successful repatriation of 11 Pakistani nationals along with 20 Iranian nationals who had been aboard ships seized by the US in international waters. FM Dar had said that all 31 people were in good health and had reached Bangkok from Singapore before boarding a flight to Islamabad.

He had thanked the governments of Singapore, Thailand and the United States for facilitating the repatriation process and also acknowledged the cooperation with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.