In a statement posted on X, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar confirmed that the crew members were flown to Pakistan overnight and will be handed over to Iranian authorities later today. The Iranian vessel itself will also be backloaded to Pakistani territorial waters for necessary repairs before being returned to its original owners.

"Pleased to announce that twenty-two crew members from the seized Iranian container vessel, 'MV Touska', have been safely evacuated to Pakistan," Dar wrote. "The individuals were safely flown in Pakistan last night and will be transferred to Iran today. The Iranian ship is also being backloaded to Pakistani territorial waters for its return to its original owners after necessary repairs."

The foreign minister described the development as a "confidence-building measure" facilitated by the United States, which had seized the vessel on April 19 for allegedly violating Washington's naval blockade on Iranian ports.

"These actions are being coordinated with the support of both the Iranian and the US authorities and surely constitute an important confidence-building measure," Dar added. "Pakistan expresses its appreciation to the United States and Iran, and remains committed to facilitating dialogue, diplomacy, and mediation for regional peace and security."

- Background of the Seizure

The MV Touska, a small container vessel belonging to the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) group, was boarded and seized by US forces on April 19 off the coast of Iran's Chabahar port in the Gulf of Oman. US Central Command stated at the time that the ship's crew had "failed to comply with repeated warnings over a six-hour period" regarding the US blockade imposed on Iranian ports following the outbreak of war between the US-Israeli alliance and Iran on February 28.

Iran's foreign ministry condemned the seizure as "unlawful and a violation of international law," while Iran's military accused the United States of "armed piracy." Iranian state media later identified six of those aboard as family members of the crew, who were transferred to a regional country for repatriation last week.

Monday's announcement underscores Pakistan's growing role as a mediator in the widening Middle East conflict. Islamabad previously brokered a fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran in early April, followed by talks in the capital on April 11. Although no formal peace agreement has been reached, diplomatic channels have remained open, with Pakistan continuing to position itself as a bridge between Washington and Tehran.

The transfer of the crew to Pakistan -- and the planned return of the vessel itself via Pakistani waters -- represents the first tangible humanitarian outcome of those mediation efforts.

Neither the White House nor Iran's foreign ministry had issued immediate official statements responding to Dar's announcement. However, an official familiar with the matter confirmed to Reuters that the transfer had been coordinated with US Central Command, which had previously confirmed that six passengers had already been repatriated last week.

Iranian officials had previously demanded the immediate release of the vessel, its sailors, and their families. Monday's development suggests that behind-the-scenes diplomacy has made progress, even as military tensions remain high in the Gulf.

The crew transfer comes as the United States prepares to launch "Operation Freedom," a Trump-administration initiative announced Sunday to help free hundreds of ships and as many as 20,000 seafarers stranded in the Gulf due to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has warned that any US interference in the Strait will be considered a violation of the ongoing ceasefire.

Whether the successful transfer of the MV Touska's crew will serve as a template for further confidence-building measures -- or remains an isolated diplomatic gesture -- remains to be seen. For now, Pakistan has positioned itself at the center of efforts to de-escalate a conflict that has disrupted global energy markets and threatened to ignite a wider regional war.

As Dar concluded in his statement: "Pakistan welcomes such confidence-building measures and will continue to facilitate dialogue and diplomacy while pursuing ongoing mediation efforts for regional peace and security."