14-4-2024 (YEMEN) The Philippines’ Department of Migrant Workers confirmed on Sunday that four Filipino sailors were among the crew of a container ship seized by Iranian forces in the Persian Gulf on Saturday.
According to the statement released, the vessel MSC Aries was seized, with four Filipino seafarers on board. The department has already reached out to the families of the affected sailors and is working closely with the relevant authorities to ensure their safety and well-being.
The Navy of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps conducted the seizure near the Strait of Hormuz, as reported by the official news agency IRNA. The ship, which is Israeli-linked and Portuguese-flagged, was identified as the MSC Aries.
The Philippines plays a significant role in supplying maritime labor globally, contributing almost one-fifth of the world’s 1.2 million seafarers, according to the International Labor Organization.
This incident follows previous maritime security concerns involving Filipino seafarers. Last November, 17 Filipino seafarers were held hostage after the hijacking of an Israeli cargo ship by Yemen’s Houthi militants in the Red Sea. Additionally, in March, two Filipino sailors lost their lives in a missile strike by Houthi militants on a cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden, off southern Yemen.
