DPM Dar says Pakistan facilitating repatriation of 30 Iranian fishermen, sailors

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Wednesday that Pakistan was “pleased to facilitate the repatriation of 30 Iranian nationals”.

In a post on the social media platform X, he said that this number included “eight Iranian fishermen rescued at sea by the British vessel MMA Valour after their boat ran aground, and 22 Iranian crew members from the vessel Lenore/Davina, recently interdicted by US authorities”.

“Both groups are expected to transit through Karachi in the coming days,” he said.

“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,” he said.

Earlier this month, US forces conducted an interdiction of ​the sanctioned oil tanker Davina in the Indian Ocean, the US military’s Indo-Pacific Command, which has now reverted back to the name Pacific Command, said.

The Davina, a supertanker capable of carrying up to two million barrels of crude oil and also known as the Lenore, was placed under US sanctions in October 2024 for ​Iranian oil ​trading, according ⁠to ship tracking data.

The vessel’s draft indicated that it ⁠was ​almost fully laden with an ​oil cargo, separate shipping data showed.

In May, Pakistan — which is playing the role of mediator between the US and Iran amid the conflict in the Middle East — had facilitated the return of crew members from a US-seized Iranian vessel. The crew were part of a group of 22 people, transferred to Pakistan following their release.

According to the Foreign Office, the transfer of crew members was part of “confidence-building measures”.

Additional input from Reuters ...