New Delhi, Mar 13 (PTI) India is expected to soon repatriate the non-essential crew members of an Iranian warship that docked in Kochi on March 4 amid the escalating military conflict between Iran and the US.
Authoritative sources said the Iranian sailors are set to leave India by a Turkish airline aircraft in the next few hours provided the plane lands in Kochi as per plan.
The Iranian ship IRIS Lavan had developed urgent technical issues and was granted emergency docking approval on March 1 following a request from the Iranian side.
It remains in Kochi since March 4 with its 183 crew members staying at Indian naval facilities in the coastal city.
The sources said all the non-essential crew members of the ship will leave for Iran.
A few sailors will continue to stay as the ship remains in Kochi, they said.
It is learnt that the Iranian sailors will be flown to Armenia from where they will travel to Iran by road.
The planned departure of the majority of the crew members of IRIS Lavan comes at a time New Delhi is making efforts to ensure safe passage for over two dozen Indian-flagged merchant vessels currently stationed on either side of the Strait of Hormuz.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke to his Iranian counterpart Seyed Abbas Araghchi last night in the fourth such conversation since the West Asia crisis erupted. PTI MPB ZMN
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