Dar seeks help from Singapore for return of 11 Pakistanis held on ships seized by US

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Friday that he has requested Singapore’s assistance to facilitate the welfare and repatriation of the detained seafarers.

In a post on

“I have requested Singapore’s support to facilitate the welfare and repatriation of 11 Pakistani and 20 Iranian seafarers,” he said.

Dar also said he had spoken to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, adding that Pakistan remains in close coordination with Iran on the matter. “Pakistan is also ready to facilitate the safe repatriation of Iranian citizens to Iran through Pakistan,” he added.

He expressed appreciation for Singapore’s cooperation and support and said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant authorities are coordinating with US officials and others to ensure the safety, well-being and prompt return of the nationals involved.

Read: 22 Iranian crew members repatriated via Pakistan

Pakistan on Monday facilitated the transfer of 22 Iranian crew members held aboard the container ship. MV Touskaseized by the United States. In a statement published in X on Monday, the ministry said the individuals were flown to Pakistan “last night and will be handed over to Iranian authorities today.”

“As a confidence-building measure by the United States of America, twenty-two crew members were held aboard the seized Iranian container ship,”MV Touska‘, have been evacuated to Pakistan,” he added.

“The Iranian ship will also be reloaded in Pakistani territorial waters to return to its original owners after necessary repairs,” the statement added. MOFA said these returns were coordinated jointly with the support of the Iranian and US sides.

On February 28, the United States and Israel launched a joint offensive against Iran, and Tehran retaliated with attacks against Israel and other countries in the region that host American assets.

The war has been on hold since April 8, when Pakistan brokered a two-week ceasefire. Following the ceasefire, Pakistan hosted the highest-level talks between the United States and Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which ended in Islamabad last weekend without an agreement, but the ceasefire held.

Despite the ceasefire, the United States began intercepting Iranian ships.

Iran subsequently blocked almost all ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz except its own when Trump imposed a separate blockade of Iranian ports. The closure of the Strait, a choke point for about 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, resulted in a phenomenal rise in global oil prices.

On Sunday, President Donald Trump said the United States would begin helping free ships stranded in the Gulf. Trump gave few details of the plan to help ships and their crews that have been “stuck” in the vital waterway and are running out of food and other supplies for more than two months.

The unified command of Iran’s armed forces responded by warning US forces to stay out of the strait. He said Iranian forces would “respond harshly” to any threat, calling on commercial ships and oil tankers to refrain from any movement without coordination with Iran’s military.

Read more: Prime Minister Shehbaz welcomes Trump’s decision to suspend ‘Project Freedom’ in the Strait of Hormuz

On Tuesday, President Trump announced he would briefly pause an operation to help escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, citing “great progress” toward a comprehensive deal with Iran, as well as the “request of Pakistan and other countries.”

Hours earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had “outlined the effort that began Monday to escort stranded oil tankers out of the Gulf.” The strait has been virtually closed since the conflict began, blocking around 20% of the world’s oil supply and causing a global energy crisis.

“Based on the request of Pakistan and other countries, the tremendous military success we have had during the campaign… Great progress has been made toward a full and final agreement with Iran’s representatives.” He wrote in Truth Social.