India’s Directorate General of Shipping issued a statement late Tuesday night stating that the sailors were aboard the oil tanker MV Harbour Phoenix and have now been released.
Published: May 27, 2026, 11:19 AM IST
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Amid Hormuz crisis, big win for India after Iran releases 10 Indian sailors who were aboard oil tanker MV Harbour Phoenix (Picture for representation purpose)
Ten Indian sailors, detained in Iran in July 2025 on an oil tanker, have been released after “sustained diplomatic engagement”, India’s shipping authorities said.
The sailors on the MV Harbour Phoenix were “detained, arrested and imprisoned in Iran following the vessel’s interception near Jask Port in July 2025”, the Directorate General of Shipping said in a statement. “The seafarers have now been released and reunited safely,” the shipping authority said.
“Necessary arrangements are being coordinated for the earliest return of the crew members to India.”
New Delhi and Tehran have long-standing diplomatic and energy ties, but India also balances that with close links to the United States and to Israel.
Iran has restricted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz – which normally carries about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments – since the United States and Israel launched attacks on February 28.
Evidence of good India-Iran relations
India and Iran have long enjoyed strong diplomatic and energy ties. However, since India also maintains close relations with the United States and Israel, New Delhi adopts a cautious and balanced approach in such matters. Iranian security forces often claim to have seized ships in the Gulf region suspected of illegally transporting fuel. However, the exact reason for the arrest of the Indian sailors, or the full details of the ship, have not been made public. According to ship tracking websites, the MV Harbour Phoenix is a Palau-flagged oil tanker. The Indian government has adopted a strategy of quiet diplomacy, avoiding public rhetoric in this matter. It is believed that this facilitated the release of the sailors through negotiations.
