Saudi Arabia Releases Iranian Ship

Date: 21 July 2019 - 21:48

News ID: ۶۸۳۹۰

TEHRAN (Dispatches) -- Iran said on Sunday it appreciated Saudi Arabia’s efforts in the return of an Iranian ship that had docked at Jeddah port because of technical problems in May.
"Iran appreciates efforts by the authorities of Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, and Oman to secure the safe return of Iran’s Happiness 1 oil tanker,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said.
Iranian media reported in early July that Saudi Arabia - Iran’s regional rival - was not allowing the ship to leave Jeddah because of a dispute over the payment of repair costs.
Transport Minister Muhammad Eslami on Sunday confirmed that the Iranian tanker had been released and was being returned to the Islamic Republic.
The Happiness 1 tanker "has been released following negotiations and is now moving toward Persian Gulf waters,” he said.
Saudi Arabia said on Saturday it had sent a crew member of the Iranian ship who was previously evacuated for medical reasons from a vessel off the Yemeni port of Hudaydah, to Oman.
Saudi Arabia in June said it had evacuated a crew member for medical reasons from a "suspect” Iranian ship northwest of Hudaydah after receiving a request for help from Tehran.
The Iranian had now been sent to Oman at Tehran’s request after receiving the necessary medical treatment in Saudi Arabia, a source in Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry was quoted as saying by state news agency SPA.
"The ministry received a request from the Iranian foreign ministry through the Swiss embassy in Riyadh to transfer (the crew member) to the Sultanate of Oman after his health improved,” the Saudi foreign ministry source was quoted as saying by SPA.
Oman traditionally seeks to play a conciliatory role in the turbulent region.
The crew member had been airlifted from the Iranian vessel Savis to a military hospital in the Saudi city of Jizan, which borders Yemen, after being seriously injured on board the ship.