Grimaldi Group has confirmed that its Pure Car & Truck Carrier (PCTC) Grande Torino has safely transited the Strait of Hormuz after spending more than 100 days stranded in the Persian Gulf due to regional tensions.
The Italian-flagged vessel departed the Gulf after receiving authorization from the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and is now sailing across the Indian Ocean toward China, where it will be redeployed on Grimaldi’s Far East–Europe service network.
The Grande Torino, carrying a crew of 21 seafarers—three Italians and 18 Filipinos—was unable to leave the region after arriving in the Persian Gulf to discharge new vehicles from the Far East shortly before hostilities escalated at the end of February. For more than three months, the vessel remained at anchor between the coasts of the United Arab Emirates and Iran due to security concerns.
Grimaldi said the crew managed the prolonged stay with “extraordinary professionalism, discipline, and a strong sense of responsibility” despite the heightened security risks in one of the world’s most strategically important maritime corridors.
Emanuele Grimaldi, Managing Director of the Grimaldi Group, praised the crew’s performance.
“We would like to express our sincere appreciation and heartfelt thanks to the Master and the entire crew of the Grande Torino, who have once again demonstrated the human and professional qualities that distinguish the Grimaldi Group’s employees. Faced with an exceptional situation, they maintained at all times the highest standards of professionalism and dedication to duty,” he said.
According to the company, the vessel’s departure followed months of diplomatic engagement involving the Grimaldi Group, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, led by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, and the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Italy.
Grimaldi also thanked the diplomatic missions and institutions involved in securing the vessel’s departure, expressing particular appreciation to Minister Antonio Tajani and Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Reza Sabouri for their role in achieving a positive resolution.
