Rising US-Iran tensions have suspended the fate of 24 Indian crew members, including its captain, on the Iranian-owned vessel Grace 1 that was seized by Gibraltar police on July 4. Gibraltar Supreme Court this week announced a one-month extension in the detention of the vessel that has three Mumbai natives on board. The entire crew stuck on the ship has had a harrowing time for the past couple of weeks, its captain told mid-day.

Along with the chief officer of the vessel, I was arrested on July 11 from the vessel. We were kept in an enclosed cell for around 36 hours. It was a horrible experience and I will not forget what happened here with me and my colleagues," the captain recalled. The vessel was detained on suspicion of carrying crude oil to Syria. "It was boarded by UK Navy and Gibraltar police and a full search was carried out. All crew was interviewed, personal and ship computers, hard drives and personal phones were seized too," the captain told mid-day.