New Delhi: Ten Indian sailors detained by Iranian authorities in July 2025 have been released and are being prepared for return to India, the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) said late on Tuesday, AFP reported.
The seafarers were “detained, arrested and imprisoned in Iran following the vessel’s interception near Jask Port in July 2025,” the DGS said in a statement. “The seafarers have now been released and reunited safely,” it added, saying “necessary arrangements are being coordinated for the earliest return of the crew members to India.”
The vessel involved, listed on ship-tracking sites as the Palau-flagged oil products tanker MV Harbour Phoenix, was intercepted near Jask Port, according to the DGS. The authority did not provide further details on the circumstances of the arrest or the reasons cited by Iranian authorities.
India has maintained a largely quiet diplomatic approach while negotiating the sailors’ release, officials said, reflecting a long-standing balancing act between New Delhi’s historical ties with Tehran and closer strategic relations with the United States and Israel.
Iranian forces frequently announce the interception of vessels they accuse of illegally transporting fuel in the Gulf. The region’s maritime security has been further strained since the United States and Israel carried out attacks on February 28, after which Tehran imposed restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz — a chokepoint that typically handles about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments.
India, the world’s third-largest oil importer, normally moves roughly half its crude shipments through the Strait of Hormuz and employs one of the world’s largest merchant navy workforces, with thousands of Indian seafarers operating in Gulf shipping lanes.
The DGS statement did not say when the crew would arrive in India or outline next steps, but officials indicated logistics for their repatriation were underway.
