Indonesia has released an Iranian ship hijacked after four months in the News Submission

The Iranian ship was intercepted for illegal oil transfer in Indonesian waters.

Tehran, Iran – Iran says Indonesia has released an oil tanker it hijacked in late January after court proceedings ended.

The Iranian National Tanker Company said in a statement that MT Horse and its crew were released 125 days later on Friday when efforts by senior Iranian officials and the country’s Foreign Ministry bore fruit.

“Despite enduring many hardships and being away from family, MT Horse’s professional and committed staff insisted on defending national interests and maintaining the flow of exports of oil and its derivatives,” the state-owned company said.

The ship has resumed its mission in the region and will return to Iranian waters upon completion, he added.

Indonesia has said its coast guard has hijacked an Iranian-flagged vessel, not only the Pan-flagged MT Freya, but also carried out illegal oil transfers in its waters.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry at the time underestimated the kidnapping, saying it was a “technical problem” and that such incidents are not uncommon in shipments.

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif went to Indonesia in April and met with senior officials, including President Joko Widodo. After the meeting, he and the Foreign Ministry made no mention of the vessel, saying that there was talk of increasing bilateral ties and the United States opposing unilateral sanctions on Iran.

The main target of harsh US sanctions is Iran’s oil exports, and Iran conceals transfers using a variety of methods, including disabling its ship tracking systems.

MT Horse was used last year to deliver another 2.1 million condensed barrels from Venezuela sanctioned by the US last year.