Iran to release crew of seized Israel-linked vessel

Iran’s foreign minister has said the crew of a seized ship linked to Israel have been given consular access and are expected to be freed, Iranian media reported.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) seized the Portuguese-flagged container vessel MSC Aries, with its 25 crew members on board, in the Strait of Hormuz on 13 April.

The action was taken days after Tehran said it would retaliate following an Israeli strike on its consulate in Damascus that killed seven IRGC members. 

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian reportedly told his Portuguese counterpart in a telephone call that the "humanitarian issue of the release of the ship's crew is of serious concern to us".

He said the crew would be turned over to their ambassadors in Tehran, though there was no indication of when this would occur.