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Portugal’s Foreign Ministry summoned Iran’s Ambassador on April 16 to condemn the attack on Israel by Tehran on April 13 and to demand the immediate release of the “MSC Aries”. The Ministry said in a statement after the meeting that it “will await the results of this formal measure and evaluate any additional steps, depending on those”. Portugal had demanded the release of the crew “as explanations provided so far have not been considered consistent”,. Tehran said on April 15 that the ship was seized in the Strait of Hormuz for “violating maritime laws”. MSC, which operates the 'MSC Aries', wass working “with the relevant authorities” for the vessel’s safe return and the well-being of its 25 crew members. MSC leases the Aries from Gortal Shipping, an affiliate of Zodiac Maritime. Zodiac is partly owned by Israeli businessman, Eyal Ofer.

The Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar spoke to his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on April 14 and took up the release of 17 Indian crew members of the 'MSC Aries'. The two leaders also discussed the current situation in the region and stressed the importance of avoiding escalation. The U.S. State Department has strongly condemned Iran’s seizure of the container ship and urged Tehran to immediately release the vessel and its crew. The ship was seized in international waters, and its crew consisted of nationals from India, the Philippines, Pakistan, Russia, and Estonia. The seizure of a non-military vessel, even without any provocation on its part, is deemed a "blatant violation of international laws" and "piracy" by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), classified as a "foreign terrorist organization. This action must be unequivocally condemned, and we will work with our partners to ensure Iran is held accountable for its actions." Israel Katz, the Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs, urged the "European Union and the free world" to "immediately declare the IRGC as a terrorist organization and sanction Iran now."

The European Union Naval Force Operation ATALANTA, or EUNAVFOR ATALANTA, has released three photos of the 'Abdullah' after Somali pirates freed the ship and its Bangladeshi crew. Confirming the release in a statement with the photos on X, formerly Twitter, on April 15, EUNAVFOR said the Operation ATALANTA was the first actor to respond to the hijacking of the vessel on March 12. One ATALANTA vessel had started shadowing the hijacked ship after the incident. Throughout the 32 days of captivity of the sailors, Operation ATALANTA has been actively engaged monitoring the situation. Report with photos: https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/zsf6d9045l

The Somali pirates have released the 'Abdulla' along with its 23 crew members on April 14, after receiving a ransom of $5 million, more than one month after the bulk carrier was hijacked on March 12 about 600 nautical miles east of Mogadishu, after departing from Maputo, en route to Al Hamriya with a cargo of 55,000 tonnes of thermal coal. After nine days in captivity, the pirates contacted the vessel's owner, the KSRM Group, demanding a ransom. After negotiations, KSRM paid the ransom to the pirates. The ship has meanwhile continued the voyage to the port of destination. The Somali authorities arrested at least eight pirates who reached the shore after releasing the ship. The Puntland Police Force apprehended the pirates on the East Coast of Puntland, confirming that they were members of the group responsible for the hijacking of the 'Abdullah'. A police officer did not confirm whether the money paid by the Bangladeshi company to secure the cargo ship's release was recovered,

Iran's Foreign Ministry has justified the seizure of the 'MSC Aries' with alleged violations of shipping regulations. A Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said on April 15 that the ship was detained because of its disregard for international rules and a lack of a “proper reaction” to the Iranian authorities. The cargo on board worth more than $90 million. 17 of the 25 crew members are Indian. The other crew members come from Pakistan, the Philippines, Russia and Estonia. The four Filipinos among the 'MSC Aries' were expected to be released soon. The DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega was set to meet the Iranian ambassador on April 16 about the release of them. The four Filipinos were allowed by the Iranians to contact their families, and each of them spoke with their relatives for an hour. The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) also had similar updates from the families of the captives. The four were not hostages since it is the Iranian government that was holding them in custody. They have taken to their normal duties onboard the ship. The licensed manning agency of the four has assured adequate payment of salaries and compensation.