TEHRAN, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Iranian Foreign Ministry on Thursday welcomed the release of the Galaxy Leader vessel's crew, who had been held by Yemen's Houthi group for over a year.
The Houthi group announced the release of the 25 crew members on Wednesday, saying the move was coordinated with Hamas and mediated by Oman as part of broader support for the Gaza ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, according to Houthi-run al-Masirah TV. Houthi leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi directed their release, after they had been held since the capture of their vessel in November 2023.
In a statement, Mohammad Alibek, Iranian assistant foreign minister and director general of the Persian Gulf Department at the Iranian Foreign Ministry, said the ministry is pleased that the vessel's crew would return to their countries on the back of the Houthis' "sincere" cooperation.
Over the past few months, the ministry has been following up on the issue through communications with the relevant parties in Yemen as well as Hamas, Alibek noted.
The crew's detention began when Houthi fighters boarded the vessel via military helicopter in international waters off Yemen's Hodeidah port on Nov. 19, 2023. While the crew has been freed, the vessel remains in Houthi custody at Hodeidah port.
The Houthi group has controlled much of northern Yemen, including Hodeidah, since the outbreak of civil war in 2014. ■
