Cyprus Shipping Chamber Demands Release of MSC Aries Crew
The Cyprus Shipping Chamber (CSC) has made an urgent plea for the release of the 25 crew members aboard the MSC Aries, a Portuguese-flagged containership seized by Iran last Saturday. The incident, which is a direct response to Israel’s recent bombing of the Iranian consulate in Damascus, has escalated tensions in the region and put international shipping in the spotlight.
Representing a significant portion of Cyprus-flag vessels and shipmanagement companies, the CSC has emphasized that “innocent seafarers and international shipping must not be victimised.” They insist that both the crew, consisting of Indian, Filipino, Pakistani, Russian, and Estonian nationals, and the vessel should be immediately freed.
This incident has drawn widespread condemnation from the maritime community. The International Chamber of Shipping had previously denounced the seizure as a “flagrant breach of international law and an assault on freedom of navigation.” The 149,500 gross tonne MSC Aries was en route from Khalifa port in the United Arab Emirates to India when the Iranian Revolutionary Guards intercepted it in the Strait of Hormuz. This action occurred shortly after Tehran executed a significant drone and missile attack on Israel.
The Mediterranean Shipping Company, an Italian-owned Swiss-based cargo and cruise operator, currently leases the Aries from Zodiac Maritime, which has partial Israeli ownership. The seizure comes at a time when maritime security in the region is already under threat. Following Israel’s military actions in Gaza as retaliation for Hamas’s attacks on October 7, the Red Sea has been deemed a high-risk area for vessels, particularly those with U.S. and British interests. Consequently, ships have been forced to extend their voyages by navigating around Africa to reach Europe safely, adding eight to ten days to their travel time.
Amidst these heightened tensions, Iranian-led groups like the Houthis in Yemen have targeted Western vessels. However, they have indicated that Russian and Chinese-owned ships will not be subject to similar actions. The international maritime community continues to watch closely as the situation unfolds, hoping for a swift and peaceful resolution that ensures the safety of all seafarers and the principle of free navigation.
