22 US-Interdicted Iranian Tanker Crew Members Arrive In Pakistan For Repatriation

Pakistan has received 22 Iranian crew members from the vessel Lenore/Davina, which was recently interdicted by US authorities, and is coordinating their return to Iran.

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced on Friday that the crew members had safely arrived in Karachi and that arrangements were being made with Iranian officials to send them home as soon as possible.

“I am pleased to share that twenty-two Iranian crew members of the vessel Lenore/Davina, recently interdicted by US authorities, have safely arrived in Karachi this afternoon,” Dar said in a post on X.

He added that Pakistan remained in close contact with both US and Iranian authorities throughout the process.

According to Dar, this is the fourth group of Iranian crew members whose return has been facilitated by Pakistan over the past two months. He said Pakistan has now helped repatriate more than 70 Iranian nationals, including the latest group of 22.

Dar thanked the Iranian leadership for its trust in Pakistan and praised the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other Pakistani institutions for helping ensure the crew’s safe return.

Iran’s state-run news agency IRNA reported that the sailors arrived at Karachi Port, where they were received by officials from Pakistan’s Foreign Office. After completing emergency entry formalities, they were taken to the Iranian Consulate in Karachi.

IRNA said the crew members are expected to return to Iran in the coming days. The agency did not identify where or when the vessel was intercepted.

In another post on X, Dar said Pakistan is also helping repatriate eight Iranian fishermen who were rescued at sea by the British vessel MMA Valour after their boat ran aground. Together with the 22 crew members from Lenore/Davina, Pakistan is facilitating the return of 30 Iranian nationals.

Overnight, U.S. forces carried out a maritime interdiction and right-of-visit boarding of the sanctioned stateless vessel MT DAVINA located in the Indian Ocean within the INDOPACOM area of responsibility.

We will continue global maritime enforcement to disrupt illicit networks… pic.twitter.com/7sNPNx0doN

— U.S. Pacific Command (@USPACOM) June 5, 2026

Dar said Pakistan is working closely with Iranian, US and UK authorities to ensure their safe transit and return. Pakistan has carried out several similar operations in recent months.

In May, it helped repatriate 22 Iranian crew members from the container ship MV Touska after it was seized by US forces in the Gulf of Oman. Pakistani officials described the operation as a confidence-building measure between Washington and Tehran.

Later that month, Pakistan also coordinated the return of 11 Pakistani nationals and 20 Iranian citizens who had been aboard vessels detained by US authorities in international waters. Dar said all 31 people travelled through Southeast Asia before returning home.

According to the source material, the latest development comes after Iran and the United States reached a 14-point understanding, mediated by Pakistan, to reduce tensions in the region.

The reports said the agreement includes measures related to maritime security, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the lifting of restrictions on Iranian shipping.

The source material also said the crew members had been aboard a tanker intercepted by US authorities during heightened tensions in the Gulf following the imposition of a US naval blockade on Iranian oil shipments after hostilities began on February 28.

Tehran has described the vessel seizures as illegal and part of US pressure tactics.

The 22 Iranian sailors are expected to stay in Karachi under the care of Iranian diplomats before returning to Iran in the coming days.

References: Firstpost, Alarabiya