Pakistan's Foreign Ministry confirmed on Monday that 22 crew members from an Iranian container ship seized by the US would be evacuated to Pakistan.

The ministry described the move as a "confidence-building measure" supported by both sides. According to a statement, the crew members will subsequently be returned to Iran.

The announcement concerns the Iranian-flagged vessel Touska, which was seized by US forces last month near Iran's Chabahar port in the Gulf of Oman. The ship is part of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL), which is under US sanctions.

Tehran had condemned the incident as "unlawful" and a violation of international maritime law. US Central Command claimed the crew refused to comply with six hours of repeated warnings that it was breaching a US blockade.

Pakistan said it will return the ship to Iran after necessary repairs. Islamabad has been acting as a mediator since the US began strikes on Iran in late February, but peace talks have so far yielded few results.

Source: www.dw.com