Indian Woman Cadet: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement that an Indian Woman Cadet member who was part of a ship that the Iranian military had taken five days ago near the Strait of Hormuz had returned home on Thursday.
Thrissur, Kerala-born Indian deck cadet Ann Tessa Joseph was a crew member of the Portuguese-flagged cargo ship MSC Aries.
Out of a total of 25, 16 Indian crew members remain on the ship “under the command of the captain,” according to sources in the Iranian embassy. These crew members have not been placed under arrest.
Indian deck cadet Ms. Ann Tessa Joseph from Thrissur, Kerala, a member of the crew on vessel MSC Aries returned home today. @India_in_Iran, with the support of Iranian authorities, facilitated her return. Mission is in touch with Iranian side to ensure the well being of the… pic.twitter.com/iE932Y4F4y
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) April 18, 2024
The sources further stated that Iran is prepared to assist them in returning to India if they choose to disembark off the ship. Indian, Filipino, Pakistani, Russian, and Estonian people make up the ship’s crew.
After Iran shot more than 300 drones and missiles at Israel last week, tensions in the area have increased as a result of the event.
Differentiated regulations to be implemented for civilian and defense use of drones
Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, had stated on numerous occasions that his nation will react to the assault. In the meantime, Israel’s conflict with Hamas rages on in Gaza.
The MEA said in a statement on Thursday that “Indian deck cadet Ms. Ann Tessa Joseph from Thrissur, Kerala, who was among the Indian crew members of the container vessel MSC Aries, has landed safely at the Cochin International Airport this afternoon thanks to the coordinated efforts of the Indian Mission in Tehran and the Iranian Government.”
Great work, @India_in_Iran . Glad that Ms. Ann Tessa Joseph has reached home. #ModiKiGuarantee always delivers, at home or abroad. https://t.co/VxYMppcPZr
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (Modi Ka Parivar) (@DrSJaishankar) April 18, 2024
The statement further stated that the 16 Indian crew members of the cargo ship who are still alive are in communication with their families back home in India through the Indian embassy in Iran.
S. Jaishankar, the minister of external affairs, praised the Indian embassy in Tehran for helping to arrange Joseph’s homecoming.
Jaishankar talked with his Iranian colleague Hossein Amir-Abdollahian the day following the ship’s “seizure” to request the release of the 17 Indian nationals who were aboard.
Marine Traffic, a source of marine analytics, reports that MSC Aries was on its route to Mumbai from the United Arab Emirates. Zodiac Maritime, a London-based company that is a division of billionaire Eyal Ofer’s Zodiac Group, is thought to be the owner of the ship. Ofer’s birthplace is Israel.
During the phone chat, Jaishankar also advocated for de-escalation, moderation, and a return to the road of communication and diplomacy in response to the escalating hostilities between Iran and Israel.
Pinarayi Vijayan, the chief minister of Kerala, wrote to Jaishankar earlier this week to ask that the Indian nationals, the majority of whom were from Kerala, be kept safe.
