US Evacuates 22 Crew Members of Detained Iranian Vessel to Pakistan in Confidence-Building Move

Pakistan: Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the United States evacuated 22 crew members of an Iranian container vessel to Pakistan, with arrangements to hand them over to Iranian authorities today, describing the step as a confidence-building measure. Last month, US forces boarded the vessel Tosca, which flies the Iranian flag and belongs to an Iranian shipping line. According to Oman News Agency, Pakistan's foreign ministry announced that the vessel will be transferred to Pakistani waters to be returned to its owners after undergoing necessary repairs. Under a ceasefire, combat operations in the US-Israeli war against Iran, which began on 28 February 2026, ceased about four weeks ago. Talks to end the war were held last month in Pakistan, which is mediating efforts to reach an agreement. Those talks did not yield results, but the exchange of messages between the two sides has continued. In a related development, President Donald Trump said that US officials are holding 'very positive' discussions with Iran on possible steps to end the war.