MANILA, March 27 -- All the 18 Filipino crew members of the seized oil tanker ST Nikolas in Iran have returned to the Philippines, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced Wednesday.

The agency said the 18 were repatriated in batches, with the last of group of six arriving in Manila last week.

"The Philippine government thanks the authorities of Iran for their understanding in this matter and appreciates the work of the manning agency which made this possible," the statement added.

The DFA said the vessel is still being held in Iran months after its seizure by the Iranian Navy in January as a retaliation for the United States' confiscation of oil it was carrying when it was still sailing under the name Suez Rajan in 2023.

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