Distress call from Egyptian seafarers after Iran seized their ship oil tanker, named "Reem Al Khaleej

CAIRO, Jan 28 (Reuters) + Agencies - Egypt's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday it was working to secure the release of four citizens detained by Iran last month after it seized a foreign oil tanker on suspicion of transporting "smuggled fuel" in the Gulf. The ministry said in a statement, "It was found that four Egyptian citizens were on board the ship (Reem Al Khaleej) in the port of Bandar Abbas in southern Iran, which was detained off the coast of Qeshm Island, Iran."

Immediately contact the Iranian authorities.

Ambassador Haddad El-Gohary, Assistant Foreign Minister for Consular Affairs and Egyptian Expatriates said that the Egyptian Interests Section in Tehran has been instructed to immediately contact the Iranian authorities.
It was revealed that four Egyptian citizens were on board the ship (Reem Al Khaleej in Bandar Abbas port, southern Iran, which was detained off the coast of Dezero, Qeshm, Iran).

Release of the Egyptian sailors and their safe return home."

The Assistant Foreign Minister indicated that "a member of the Egyptian Interests Section in Tehran has been assigned to immediately go to the port where the aforementioned ship is being held to provide the necessary consular and legal assistance and to work towards the swift release of the Egyptian seafarers and their safe return home."

Iran announced last month that it had seized a foreign oil tanker carrying four million liters of smuggled fuel near Qeshm Island in the Gulf. It did not name the vessel or its nationality, but said it had detained its 16 foreign crew members on criminal charges

An official shipment from a port in Sharjah, UAE, to Khor Fakkan, 

It is noteworthy that one of the detained seafarers , an Egyptian seafarers , had appealed to the Egyptian authorities to intervene and seek their release after they were detained on board a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, indicating that they were detained by the Iranian authorities. The Egyptian seafarers speaking in the video said he works as a senior naval officer, and that he and four other Egyptians were detained last December on charges of smuggling, but according to his account, they were transporting an official shipment from a port in Sharjah, UAE, to Khor Fakkan, before they were stopped and detained by the Iranian authorities.

Fined a total of $14 million. 

He added that the oil tanker, named "Reem Al Khaleej," ( IMO 9401726, MMSI 511101707 -sailing under the flag of Palau. ) had its crew transferred to Iran and fined a total of $14 million. He warned that if the fine wasn't paid, they would be imprisoned. He explained, "The company says it has hired a lawyer to defend us, but we haven't seen any action, and things are getting worse."

A month and the situation is getting worse

He continued: "We appeal to the Egyptian authorities to intervene. We are innocent and are just employees on the ship. The amount is too much for the company, and their communication with us is unclear and revolves around working to resolve the issue, but we have been here for a month and the situation is getting worse."

Our work is official

He emphasized that he has been working at sea for 25 years and this is the first time he has encountered such a problem, adding, "I have never worked on smuggling vessels; our work is official, and we have the necessary paperwork." Local reports, citing sources in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that Egyptian authorities are investigating the incident involving the Egyptian sailors' distress call.

Iran, which has one of the lowest fuel prices in the world due to heavy subsidies and a sharp decline in the value of its currency, is seeking to curb the widespread smuggling of fuel by land to neighboring countries and by sea to Gulf states.

Related : Iran seizes foreign oil tanker and arrests its crew

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