Iran is negotiating with the Somali pirates to release a Hong Kong-flagged ship that was chartered by an Iranian company, an official says. The ship, Delight, which was hijacked by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden on Tuesday, was carrying 36,000 tons of wheat has seven Indians onboard among the 25-member crew. The ship was chartered by the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL), the country's biggest shipping firm.
"We are in contact with the vessel. We could get in contact with the vessel yesterday (Thursday) and all the ship's personnel are in good health and we are discussing the matter with the pirates," an IRISL official told Reuters.
"They put forward their demands...We are following the case," the official said. "They (the pirates) called us ... when they anchored further down the coast (south) from the Eyl area," he noted, referring to a former fishing outpost now used by gangs.