26 Vietnamese crewmembers on oil tanker seized by Iran

[ASEAN NOW News]

Vietnamese-flagged oil tanker MV Southys off the coast of Singapore in May 2021. Photo courtesy of Fleetmon

 

Vietnamese authorities are working with Iran to verify the identities of crew members of the MV Southys seized by Iran last month, reported VN Express.

 

Pham Thu Hang, deputy spokesperson of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, said Thursday that the crew members were in good health.

 

On October 27, the captain of the MV Southys, a Vietnamese-flagged oil tanker that was seized by Iran in the Gulf of Oman, told the Vietnamese embassy in Iran that all 26 Vietnamese crew members were being treated well and in "normal" health.

 

According to the AP news service, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard troops on October 24 took control of the MV Southys, "a vessel that analysts suspect of trying to transfer sanctioned Iranian crude oil to Asia."

 

U.S. forces monitored the seizure, but ultimately did not take action as the vessel had sailed into Iranian waters.

 

Hanoi Based Owners

 

Maritime data shows that the most recently registered owner of the Sothys is the Hanoi-based OPEC Petroleum Transport Company.

 

Vietnam's foreign ministry has discussed the issue with the Iranian embassy in Hanoi.

 

Its delegation in Iran is also working with Iranian authorities to verify information and resolve the matter while ensuring safety and humanitarian treatment of Vietnamese nationals.

 

The ministry has contacted Vietnam's Ministry of Transport to identify the crew members, requesting that the vessel's owner acts to secure the rights of Vietnamese workers abroad.

 

Hang said that the foreign ministry and its embassy in Iran will continue to follow developments and collaborate closely with Iranian authorities to resolve this issue in accordance with the law.

 

"We will enact necessary measures to safeguard the rights and interests of Vietnamese nationals," she said.

 

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