Dar seeks Singapore’s help in return of 11 Pakistanis held on ships seized by US

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Friday that he had requested Singapore’s assistance in facilitating the welfare and repatriation of the detained sailors.

In an article on

“I have requested Singapore’s support to facilitate the welfare and repatriation of 11 Pakistani and 20 Iranian sailors,” he said.

Dar also said he spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, adding that Pakistan remains in close coordination with Iran on this issue. “Pakistan is also ready to facilitate the safe repatriation of Iranian nationals to Iran via Pakistan,” he added.

He expressed gratitude for Singapore’s cooperation and support, saying the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant authorities are coordinating with US and other officials to ensure the safety, well-being and early return of affected nationals.

Read: 22 Iranian crew members repatriated via Pakistan

On Monday, Pakistan facilitated the transfer of 22 Iranian crew members detained on board the container ship. MV Touskaseized by the United States. In a statement published Monday on X, the ministry said the individuals were flown to Pakistan “last night and will be handed over to Iranian authorities today.”

“As a confidence-building measure taken by the United States of America, twenty-two crew members were detained on board the seized Iranian container ship,”MV Touska‘, were evacuated to Pakistan,” he added.

“The Iranian vessel will also be reloaded in Pakistani territorial waters to be returned to its original owners after necessary repairs,” the statement added. The Foreign Office said the returns were coordinated in tandem with support from the Iranian and US sides.

On February 28, the United States and Israel launched a joint offensive against Iran, and Tehran retaliated by striking Israel and other countries in the region harboring American assets.

The war has been suspended since April 8, when Pakistan negotiated a two-week ceasefire. After the ceasefire, Pakistan hosted the highest level US-Iran talks since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which ended in Islamabad last weekend without a deal, but the ceasefire was respected.

Despite the ceasefire, the United States began intercepting Iranian ships.

Iran then blocked almost all ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz except its own, as Trump imposed a separate blockade of Iranian ports. The closure of the strait, a choke point for about 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, has led to a phenomenal rise in global oil prices.

On Sunday, President Donald Trump said the United States would begin helping free ships stuck in the Gulf. Trump offered few details of the plan to help ships and their crews that have been “locked in” in the vital waterway and lacking food and other supplies for more than two months.

The unified command of Iran’s armed forces responded by warning U.S. forces to stay out of the strait. He said Iranian forces would “respond harshly” to any threats, asking commercial ships and tankers to refrain from any movement without coordination with the Iranian military.

Learn more: Prime Minister Shehbaz thanks Trump’s decision to suspend ‘Project Freedom’ in the Strait of Hormuz

On Tuesday, President Trump announced he would briefly suspend an operation to help escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, citing “great progress” toward a comprehensive deal with Iran as well as “request from Pakistan and other countries.”

A few hours earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had “highlighted efforts made Monday to escort stranded oil tankers out of the Gulf.” The strait has been virtually closed since the conflict began, blocking around 20% of global oil supplies and triggering a global energy crisis.

“Based on the request of Pakistan and other countries, the enormous military successes we achieved during the campaign… Great progress has been made towards a complete and final agreement with the representatives of Iran.” He has written about Truth Social.