Seafarers remain in Iran months after tanker seizure

Sixteen Indian seafarers have been held in Iran since 8 December after Iranian authorities seized the oil tanker MT Valiant Roar in international waters, alleging it carried 6,000 metric tons of illegal diesel, a claim denied by the Dubai-based operator. 

According to BBC, the crew also includes one Bangladeshi and one Sri Lankan. Ten Indian crew members have been arrested and are held in Bandar Abbas prison, while the rest remain on the ship, confined to a small room with limited food, water, and communication. Families have approached the Delhi High Court for urgent government intervention to secure consular access and the crew’s safe return, the BBC reported.

The Indian foreign ministry has said that consular access to the 10 arrested men was granted by Iran in January, though initial access was delayed due to the country’s unstable situation.

Families and company officials told the BBC that the crew face deteriorating conditions, including failing generators, blocked toilets, unsanitary conditions, and limited supplies of food and drinking water.

The ship’s owner denied Iranian claims, telling the BBC that the vessel was carrying Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (VLSFO), a standard marine fuel. He also highlighted a previous seizure of another Prime Tankers ship in 2023, where most crew were eventually released but three remain imprisoned. The owner also suggested that Iran may have mistaken the ship for having American or Israeli ownership.

Families and unions have condemned Iran’s actions, calling it inhumane to detain crew for corporate cargo disputes and alleging they are being used as “human shields.”

Meanwhile, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Emigration, and Egyptian Expatriates is closely monitoring the situation of Egyptian citizens on a vessel detained by Iranian authorities. The vessel, an oil tanker, was seized near Iran’s Qeshm Island in the Gulf in late December after Iran claimed it was transporting 4 million litres of smuggled fuel.

source : safety4sea