Twenty‑two crew members from an Iranian vessel seized by the United States have been evacuated to Pakistan as part of what Islamabad described as a “confidence‑building measure” by Washington. Pakistan’s foreign office confirmed on Monday that the sailors will be handed over to Iranian authorities later today.
The crew belonged to the Iranian ship Touska, which US President Donald Trump said was struck and seized by American forces on April 19 after it allegedly refused orders to alter its planned passage through the Strait of Hormuz. The vessel was intercepted in the Gulf of Oman amid a US‑imposed naval blockade on Iranian ports, a move that sharply escalated tensions between Washington and Tehran.
The confrontation unfolded against the backdrop of months of conflict, beginning in February when US and Israeli forces launched surprise attacks against Iran. The seizure of the Touska further strained relations, drawing international attention to the volatile situation in the region.
Earlier on Monday, ABC News quoted US Central Command spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins as confirming that 22 crew members had been repatriated to Pakistan. Six others had already been released last week and returned to Iran, according to Tehran’s semi‑official Tasnim News Agency.
The transfer of the remaining crew is being viewed as a rare diplomatic gesture amid an otherwise fraught standoff, though it remains unclear whether it will ease broader tensions between the two countries.
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