Four Romanians on board ship seized by Iran, Foreign Ministry says
Four Romanians are on board the MSC Francesca, a ship seized more than a week ago by the Iranian authorities, according to a statement given by the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday, April 30.
Around April 22–23, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Navy detained two ships for what it described as violations of maritime law and escorted them to Iranian shores. The IRGC accused the Panama-flagged MSC Francesca and the Liberia-flagged Epaminondas of operating without required permits and tampering with their navigation systems. MSC Francesca was hit by gunfire about eight nautical miles west of Iran as it was being seized, but it was not damaged, and its crew was safe, according to Reuters.
Montenegro's minister of maritime affairs confirmed the ship’s seizure. "Negotiations between the shipping company and the Iranian side are ongoing, and the relevant state authorities are in constant contact with the crew," the minister, Filip Radulovic, said on X.
The Romanians were subcontracted for repairs on the ship. Once it confiscated the ship, Iran prohibited the crew from contacting anyone and cut access to their mobile phones, according to Digi24.
According to the same source, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on Friday, April 24, that the Iranian authorities refused to communicate whether there are four Romanian citizens on the MSC Francesca. The MFA also emphasized that it had not received requests for consular assistance at that time.
A week later, however, the institution came back and confirmed that the Romanians were held by Iran. “The Embassy of Romania in the Islamic Republic of Iran is aware of the situation of four Romanian citizens, on board the MSC Francesca ship, which is currently seized by the Iranian authorities,” the MFA transmitted on April 30. The four “are safe and in good health condition,” and the Embassy of Romania in Tehran is monitoring the situation.
Roughly 2 months ago, Iran blocked the Hormuz Strait, used to transit about one-fifth of the world's daily oil and gas supply, in response to the US-Israel bombing campaign. With peace talks currently on hold, the fate of shipping through the vital artery remains up in the air.
(Photo source: vesselfinder.com)
