Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday said Pakistan was “pleased to facilitate the repatriation of 30 Iranian nationals”, including eight fishermen rescued at sea and 22 crew members from a vessel intercepted by US authorities.
In a post on X, Dar said the group comprises “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”.
He added that both groups are expected to pass through Karachi in the coming days. “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 intercepted the sanctioned oil tanker Davina in the Indian Ocean, according to the US Pacific Command. The vessel, also known as Lenore, was sanctioned by the United States in October 2024 over its involvement in Iranian oil trade and was reportedly carrying a near-full cargo of crude oil.
The latest repatriation effort follows a similar move in May, when Pakistan facilitated the return of crew members from a US-seized Iranian vessel. The Foreign Office had described that transfer as part of “confidence-building measures” amid Pakistan’s mediation efforts between the United States and Iran.
