TEHRAN, May 4 (Xinhua) -- Fifteen of the remaining 22 crew members of an Iranian container ship seized by the United States last month have entered Iran, the semi-official Fars news agency reported Monday.
The Iranian-flagged vessel, the Touska, was boarded and seized by U.S. forces off the coast of Iran's southeastern port of Chabahar in the Gulf of Oman on April 19 under a U.S. naval blockade targeting Iranian shipping.
Fars said the ship had a total of 28 crew members, who were taken into U.S. custody. It added that six were released earlier, while seven remain in Pakistan.
The report said the 15 crew members returned to Iran through the Rimdan border crossing in southeastern Sistan and Baluchestan province. The semi-official Tasnim news agency also reported their arrival.
Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement the same day that it had facilitated the transfer of 22 Iranian crew members, describing the move as part of a U.S.-backed confidence-building measure. It said the crew had been evacuated and flown to Pakistan overnight.
The ministry added that the vessel would be moved into Pakistani territorial waters and later returned to its owners after necessary repairs.
The United States imposed restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz following failed post-ceasefire negotiations with Iran in Islamabad on April 11-12, according to earlier reports. ■
