Pakistan facilitating return of 30 Iranian nationals, Dar says

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Wednesday that Pakistan was helping arrange the repatriation of 30 Iranian nationals, including fishermen rescued at sea and crew members from a vessel intercepted by US authorities.

In a post on X, Dar said the group comprised eight Iranian fishermen who were rescued by the British vessel MMA Valour after their boat ran aground, along with 22 Iranian crew members from the vessel Lenore/Davina, which he said had recently been interdicted by US authorities.

Dar said both groups were expected to pass through Karachi in the coming days as part of the return process. He added that Pakistan was coordinating with Iranian, US and UK authorities to facilitate their safe transit and early return to Iran.

Attributing the effort to humanitarian cooperation, Dar said Pakistan remained committed to extending assistance in the matter. He stated: "We remain in close coordination with the Iranian, United States and United Kingdom authorities to ensure the safe transit and early return of our Iranian brethren to their homeland. Pakistan remains committed to humanitarian cooperation and to extending every possible assistance to our Iranian brothers,"

Earlier this month, US forces carried out an interdiction of the sanctioned oil tanker Davina in the Indian Ocean, according to the US military’s Indo-Pacific Command, which has since reverted to the name Pacific Command.

The Davina, also known as the Lenore, is a supertanker with capacity to carry up to two million barrels of crude oil. Ship tracking data showed the vessel was placed under US sanctions in October 2024 over Iranian oil trading. Separate shipping data indicated the tanker was almost fully loaded with oil cargo.

This is not the first such transfer facilitated by Pakistan in recent weeks. In May, Pakistan assisted in the return of crew members from a US-seized Iranian vessel. Those crew members were part of a group of 22 people who were transferred to Pakistan after being released.

The Foreign Office had said at the time that the transfer of the crew members formed part of confidence-building measures.