New Delhi:

An Indian sailor from a cargo ship seized by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards near the Strait of Hormuz on April 13 has returned home safely, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MEA) said today.

“With the joint efforts of the Indian Mission in Tehran and the Government of Iran, Indian deck cadet Ann Tessa Joseph from Thrissur, Kerala, has landed safely at the Cochin International Airport,” the MEA said. She was part of the Indian crew of the container ship MSC Aries,” spokesman Randhir Jaiswal posted on X.

“The Indian mission in Tehran is still dealing with the matter and is in touch with the remaining 16 Indian crew members on the container ship. The crew members are in good health and are in touch with their families in India,” the MEA said in a statement. statement.

Ms. Ann Tessa Joseph, an Indian deck cadet from Thrissur, Kerala, who is a crew member of MSC Aries, returned home today. @India_in_IranWith the support of the Iranian authorities, she was assisted in returning home. The delegation is in contact with the Iranian side to ensure the well-being of… pic.twitter.com/iE932Y4F4y

— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) April 18, 2024

India is also in touch with the Iranian authorities to ensure the welfare of the remaining crew members, the Indian government said.

Earlier, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had a conversation with his Iranian counterpart Amir Abdullahian regarding the matter.

After Ms. Joseph arrived in India, Jaishankar posted on the foreign.”

The ship’s seizure comes amid rising tensions in the Middle East. People are worried that Israel will launch a counterattack against Iran, which has launched 300 missiles at Israel. Earlier, Israel almost attacked the consular area of ​​the Iranian embassy in Damascus, Syria. Seven people, including two generals, were killed in the airstrike.

Iran said the ship was “linked to the Zionist regime (Israel) in the Gulf.” Vesselfinder.com and MarineTraffic.com, two websites that track shipping traffic, said the MSC Aries, a Portuguese-flagged container ship, was last reported in the Gulf.