Tehran hails Yemen’s decision to release the crew of a ship linked to ‘israel’
Iran has expressed approval of Yemen's recent decision to release the crew of a cargo vessel linked to Israel. The vessel was seized following an escalation of conflict initiated by Israel in the Gaza Strip.
An aide to Iran’s foreign minister, who also serves as the director general for Persian Gulf Affairs at the Iranian Foreign Ministry, has reported that his department has been actively engaged in addressing the issue by maintaining communication with involved parties in Yemen and the Palestinian Hamas resistance movement over the past several months.
Mohammad Alibek announced that the crew of the vessel is set to return to their home countries, following the genuine cooperation of Yemen’s Ansarullah resistance movement.
In a move aligned with its solidarity campaign for Palestinians in Gaza, Yemen has taken control of the Galaxy Leader, a vessel flagged under the Bahamas and operated by Japanese interests. The ship is owned by a British enterprise, with partial ownership attributed to Israeli businessman Abraham (Rami) Ungar.
In November 2023, a Yemeni operation involving helicopters successfully conducted a seizure in the Red Sea.
Since that time, the ship’s 25-member crew, consisting of 17 Filipinos, three Ukrainians, two Bulgarians, two Mexicans, and one Romanian, has been detained in Yemen.
On Wednesday, Yemen’s Supreme Political Council announced the release of the Galaxy Leader’s crew. This decision was reportedly made to bolster the ongoing ceasefire efforts in Gaza.
According to Yemen’s al-Masirah television channel, the vessel’s crew has been transferred to mediators from Oman.
The initiative is a component of Yemen’s extensive strategy to assist the Palestinian population and bolster regional unity in opposition to Israel’s intense military actions in Gaza.
Mexico Expresses Gratitude to Mediators, Highlighting Iran’s Role
Aníbal Gómez-Toledo, Mexico’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, announced on X that he met with the two Mexican crew members recently released from the Galaxy Leader, sharing a photograph of the encounter.
The Mexican Foreign Ministry has expressed its appreciation to Oman for its mediating efforts and has also extended thanks to Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen, as well as Mexico’s honorary consuls in Yemen and Oman for their valuable support.
