Tensions high after Iran releases ship and crew

The operator of a Marshall Islands-flagged cargo ship seized by Iran yesterday said the vessel had been released and the crew were all in good condition.

Martin Lidegaard was firm with the Iranian authorities. Picture: Getty

Rickmers Ship Management said that the MV Maersk Tigris had been released following a court order.

It will now continue its scheduled voyage to Jebel Ali, in the United Arab Emirates, where it will be met by representatives from Rickmers and others.

Iranian forces seized the ship on 28 April in the Strait of Hormuz. It was taken under escort to Bandar Abbas, the main port of Iran’s navy.

Iran claimed the Danish shipping company that chartered the ship, Maersk Line, owed money to an Iranian firm.

Rickmers’ spokesman Cor Radings would not comment on whether any money was paid to settle the case with Iran, saying “that is up to Maersk and the Iranian authorities, our responsibility is with the vessel and crew”.

He said his company had confirmed the ship left the Iranian port with all 24 crew members on board and all its cargo.

Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organisation said the government had received the appropriate assurances from Maersk Line. The Danish company had “ensured the provision of a letter of guarantee for the enforcement of the judicial decision”.

In Copenhagen, Maersk Line spokesman Michael Storgaard said that the case “is not over yet”, but confirmed that the company was committed to covering the $163,000 (£107,000) debt claimed by the Iranian firm, if necessary. “We have said we would be willing to pay, but for now we have not paid anything,” he said. Mr Storgaard added lawyers from both sides will begin looking into the matter.

Denmark’s foreign minister Martin Lidegaard made reference to an apparent role by his government in the negotiations, saying it was “gratifying that our joint efforts” had led to the release of the ship.

“For Denmark as a seafaring nation, it is obviously a priority that international obligations are complied with and that ships can sail in the Persian Gulf,” Mr Lidegaard said in a statement. “We have also made that clear in our contact with the Iranian authorities.”

The incident came at a critical time in Iran’s relations with the West, as talks on Tehran’s contested nuclear programme continue and frictions rise amid a US-backed campaign by a Saudi-led coalition carrying out air strikes against Iranian-backed Shia rebels in Yemen.

Following the Maersk incident, Washington adopted a policy change, allowing any US-flagged ship to be accompanied by navy warships through the narrow strait, which includes Iranian territorial waters. US navy ships are positioned nearby and are ready to respond if needed, but they do not actually escort a vessel.