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World
The US military announced the transfer of an Iranian ship it had previously seized to Pakistan, as a prelude to returning it with its crew members to Iran.
The US military announced the transfer of an Iranian ship it had previously seized to Pakistan, as a prelude to returning it with its crew members to Iran.
A spokesperson for US Central Command told "ABC News" that "the Iranian ship, which the United States seized after it attempted to breach the US blockade, has been transferred to Pakistan for its return to Iran, along with its crew."
Captain Tim Hawkins said: "US forces today completed the transfer of 22 crew members of the ship Toska to Pakistan for their repatriation. Six other passengers had been transferred to a country in the region for their repatriation last week."
Official Iranian media identified the six as family members of some crew members.
Hawkins said: "The Toska is currently being repossessed by its original owner after the ship was intercepted and seized while attempting to violate the US naval blockade imposed on Iran last month."
General Dan Kane, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said during a press conference at the Pentagon on April 24 that "when the crew of the Toska ignored 6-hour warnings from US ships on April 19, a destroyer fired several shells at the engine room of the container ship. US Marines then boarded the ship and seized it."
