MAR 29, 2024 JLM 75°F 01:28 PM 06:28 AM EST
Tension's Flare in the Persian Gulf Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps seized a South Korean-flagged tanker in Gulf waters and detained its crew, Iranian media said on Monday, amid tensions between Tehran and Seoul over Iranian funds frozen in South Korean banks due to U.S. sanctions. Seoul confirmed the seizure of a South Korean chemical tanker by Iranian authorities in the waters off Oman, and demanded its immediate release. Several Iranian media outlets, including state TV, said the Guards navy captured the vessel for polluting the Gulf with chemicals. "According to initial reports by local officials, it is purely a technical matter and the ship was taken to shore for polluting the sea," state television quoted Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh as saying. The semi-official Tasnim news agency published pictures showing the Guards' speed boats escorting the tanker HANKUK CHEMI, which it said was carrying 7,200 tons of ethanol. It said the vessel's detained crew members included nationals of South Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam and Myanmar. Iran's state TV said the tanker was being held at Iran's Bandar Abbas port city. The ship had 20 crew members, according to South Korea's foreign ministry. The U.S. State Department called for Iran to release the tanker immediately. "The regime continues to threaten navigational rights and freedoms in the Persian Gulf as part of a clear attempt to extort the international community into relieving the pressure of sanctions," a State Department representative said. The U.S. Navy's Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet is aware of the incident and is monitoring the situation, spokeswoman Rebecca Rebarich said. The incident comes ahead of an expected visit by South Korea's deputy foreign minister to Tehran. Khatibzadeh said the visit would happen in coming days, during which officials would discuss Iran's demand that South Korea release $7 billion in funds frozen in South Korean banks because of U.S. sanctions. The United States reimposed sanctions on Iran in 2018 after Washington withdrew from Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with six major powers. Under that deal, Iran had agreed to curb its nuclear work in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. Iran has retaliated by bypassing the restrictions of the deal step-by-step. In a move that could complicate efforts by Joe Biden to rejoin the deal, Tehran said on Monday it had resumed 20% uranium enrichment at its underground Fordow nuclear facility. British firm Ambrey said the South Korean-flagged vessel, owned by DM Shipping Co, had departed from the Petroleum Chemical Quay in Jubail, in Saudi Arabia, before the incident. Another maritime security firm, Dryad Global, said on its website the chemical tanker had "likely been detained by Iranian forces" in the Strait of Hormuz while inbound to Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates. Source and Image: Reuters ?? IF YOU LOVE ISRAEL - SHARE NEWSRAEL! ??
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Comments
Tommy Brown 05:33 05.01.2021
It is past time to eliminate Iran forever.
George William 02:38 05.01.2021
take Iran out
Dominic Mordell 02:03 05.01.2021
yes indeed TIME IS UP TO STOP TAKING ARE KINDNESS AS WEAKNESS. ????
Mike Davidson 01:16 05.01.2021
in john mccains famous words,bomb bomb bomb,bomb bomb iran.....
Carl Atamanczyk 00:26 05.01.2021
Time is long over due to make an example of Iran and hit them hard enough to teach a lesson they won't soon forget.
Ed T 00:16 05.01.2021
I agree with Mr. Lee Hughes and Ms. Rhonda Clark , Mr.Robert Sharp and Darrel Snider
David Middleton 00:16 05.01.2021
Iran has always been an instigator ... Its time to deal with them accordingly .
Warren Williams 23:59 04.01.2021
The time has come to save the innocent lives of Iran, then the time has long past to annihilate the mullahs and their government!
Lee Hughes 23:41 04.01.2021
Time for The United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and others to DESTROY THE ARMED FORCES of IRAN
Rhonda Clark 23:27 04.01.2021
If they getAntifa. And blm. Itsall good.
Robert Sharp 23:25 04.01.2021
Time to take Iran off the map.
Darrel Snider 23:24 04.01.2021
time to eliminate iran
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