Overview
- Pakistan announced on Wednesday that it will facilitate the repatriation of 30 Iranian nationals who are expected to pass through Karachi before returning to Iran.
- The group comprises eight fishermen rescued at sea by the British vessel MMA Valour after their boat ran aground and 22 crew members from the tanker known as Lenore/Davina.
- Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said Islamabad is working closely with Iranian, US and UK authorities to arrange safe transit and necessary diplomatic and logistical clearances.
- The Lenore/Davina crew were part of a vessel recently interdicted by US authorities in enforcement actions tied to alleged sanctions on Iranian oil, while the MMA Valour rescue was a separate maritime search-and-rescue operation.
- Pakistan has previously helped similar transfers, including mid-May repatriations via Singapore and Thailand, and officials say these moves are intended as humanitarian confidence-building measures that could ease tensions and speed further cooperation.