Indonesia has reportedly released an Iranian tanker it seized late January after court processions concluded, Iran said.
The National Iranian Tanker Company said in a statement that MT Horse and its crew were released on Friday after about four months as efforts by senior Iranian officials and the country’s foreign ministry paid off.
“Despite undergoing many hardships and being away from family, the professional and committed personnel of MT Horse persevered in defence of national interests and maintaining the flow of oil and its derivatives’ exports,” the state-owned company said.
Indonesia said its coast guard seized the Iranian-flagged vessel, in addition to the Panamanian-flagged MT Freya, over the suspected illegal transfer of oil in its waters.
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif travelled to Indonesia in April and met with senior officials, including President Joko Widodo.
At the time of their meeting, Zarif made no mention of the vessel, claiming they talked about boosting bilateral ties and opposing unilateral United States sanctions on Iran.
