- Wednesday, May 01, 2024
Ann Tessa Joseph returned to Cochin in the southern Indian state of Kerala on April 18 amid talks between Indian and Iranian authorities.
By: Twinkle Roy
ONE of the 17 Indian crew members onboard container ship MSC Aries seized by the Iranian military over its speculated links with Israel, returned to Cochin in the southern Indian state of Kerala on Thursday (18).
Ann Tessa Joseph, the only woman cadet among the crew members, MSC Aries, was received by a regional passport officer at the airport.
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India’s ministry of external affairs (MEA) assured that the Indian mission in Tehran, Iran’s capital, was in touch with the remaining 16 members of the crew and also with the Iranian officials as a step towards ensuring their well-being.
It added the crew members were in good health and spoke with their family members in India.
“With the concerted efforts of the Indian mission in Tehran and the Iranian government, Indian deck cadet Ms Ann Tessa Joseph from Thrissur, Kerala, who was among the Indian crew members of container vessel MSC Aries, has landed safely at the Cochin International Airport today afternoon,” MEA said.
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Indian external affairs minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar discussed the matter with his Iranian counterpart Amir Abdollahian four days ago after Iran launched air strikes on Israeli targets, two weeks after an alleged Israeli air strike razed Tehran’s diplomatic premises in Damascus in Syria.
The Special Naval Forces of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps seized MSC Aries on April 13 because of its alleged links with Israel.
(with PTI inputs)
