Thailand seeks Iran’s help to find 3 missing crew members

ISTANBUL

Thailand has sought Iran’s assistance in the search-and-rescue operation for three Thai crew members who went missing after a Thai-flagged cargo ship was hit near the Strait of Hormuz last week, local media reported on Monday.

In a telephone conversation with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, on Sunday, Thailand’s foreign minister, Sihasak Phuangketkeow, asked Tehran to allow access to the Thai cargo ship so the three missing crew members can be located, state broadcaster Thai PBS World reported.

The ship, Mayuree Naree, was hit near the stern while sailing in waters near Oman on March 11, amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.

Twenty crew members jumped overboard and were rescued. They arrived in Thailand on Monday.

The Oman Navy is leading the rescue operation as the ship is in Omani waters, but the operation has faced hurdles because the site is in the middle of a conflict zone.

The two ministers also discussed measures to ensure the safe passage of Thai cargo vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most crucial shipping routes.

Bangkok called on “all parties” to return to dialogue and diplomacy as soon as possible to ease tensions in the Middle East.

According to a tally by Anadolu, at least 22 people from Asian nations have been either killed or remain missing since the latest conflict broke out in the Middle East.

They include six from India, four from Bangladesh, three from Pakistan, and one each from China, Nepal and the Philippines, while three from Indonesia and three from Thailand are missing in waters off Oman and in the Strait of Hormuz.