Indian officials announced that 10 of the country’s sailors, who had been detained for months in Iran following the seizure of an oil tanker in Iranian waters, have finally been released following diplomatic negotiations.
The sailors were crew members of the “Harbor Phoenix,” a Palau-flagged vessel that was seized by Iranian forces near the port of Jask in July 2025. According to the Directorate General of Shipping of India, the ship’s crew had been detained and transferred to prison following the seizure.
Families of some of the sailors had previously stated that they had only limited contact with their relatives over the past months, and that authorities of the Islamic Republic had not provided a clear explanation regarding the charges, their legal status, or the timeline for their release.
The organization “Human Rights at Sea” had also previously reported that these sailors were being held in Bandar Abbas Prison.
The release of these citizens comes at a time when the Islamic Republic has repeatedly seized passing vessels in recent months on charges such as “fuel smuggling,” an action that has drawn criticism from human rights organizations and sparked concern among foreign nations regarding the security of shipping in the Persian Gulf.
