Iran Releases Four Ukrainian Sailors Detained in Strait of Hormuz

KYIV: Iran has released four Ukrainian sailors who were detained in the Strait of Hormuz in April, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said Wednesday, following weeks of diplomatic efforts to secure their freedom. Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhiy Tykhyi said the four sailors were crew members of the Greek-owned container ship Epimonidas, one of several vessels detained by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the strategic waterway in April.

“We are pleased to report that these efforts have yielded a positive result. Four of our citizens have already left Iran. They are now safe with their families,” Tykhyi told reporters. He added that the sailors were in satisfactory health and thanked diplomats from partner countries, the ship’s owner and other parties involved in negotiations that led to their release. The detentions occurred as the Strait of Hormuz became a major flashpoint amid escalating tensions involving Iran, the United States and Israel. The narrow waterway, through which a significant portion of global energy shipments passes, has remained at the center of regional security concerns. Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry did not provide details on the circumstances of the sailors’ release or whether any conditions were attached to their return.