Pakistan repatriates nationals from vessels seized by US
Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said Islamabad has repatriated 11 Pakistani nationals and 20 Iranian citizens who had been aboard vessels seized by the US in international waters.
The individuals were in good health and travelled from Singapore to Bangkok before boarding a flight to Islamabad. The Iranian nationals will continue onwards to Tehran after arriving in Pakistan.
Dar said the operation involved coordination with several governments, thanking Singaporean authorities and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for their “close coordination”. He also thanked Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi for entrusting Pakistan with facilitating the return of the Iranian citizens.
“The welfare and well-being of Pakistanis abroad, particularly those in distress, remains our government’s highest priority,” Dar said.
The repatriation comes as Pakistan seeks to position itself as a neutral intermediary in the wider US-Israeli war on Iran while maintaining ties with both Washington and Tehran.