Iran agrees to free South Korean ship crew after nearly a month of captivity Print this article
Iran appears ready to free the crew of a South Korean tanker ship after it was captured early last month.
Both countries announced on Tuesday that the 20-member crew, which includes South Korean, people of Myanmar, Vietnamese, and Indonesian sailors, would be freed after South Korea agreed to address Iran’s complaints about the release of some $7 billion in assets that were frozen in Seoul because of United States sanctions against the Iranian regime, according to the
New York Times.
The
MT Hankuk Chemi, which was carrying some 7,200 tons of chemicals, was seized by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps in the Persian Gulf on Jan. 4. Tehran said it seized the ship because of “oil pollution” fears, although its seizure was apparently used as leverage to get Seoul to release the funds.
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U.S. seeks to seize suspected Iranian oil aboard foreign tanker
The United States has filed a lawsuit to seize a cargo of oil it says came from Iran rather than Iraq, as stated on the bill of lading, and contravenes U.S. terrorism regulations.
The lawsuit filed with the U.S. District of Colombia on Tuesday alleges that Iran sought to mask the origin of the oil by transferring it to several vessels before it ended up aboard the Liberian-flagged Achilleas tanker destined for China.
Washington said the scheme involved multiple entities affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and its elite Qods Force, both of which have been declared by foreign terrorist organisations by the United States.
(Adds further background, context)
LONDON, Feb 3 (Reuters) - The United States has filed a lawsuit to seize a cargo of oil it says came from Iran rather than Iraq, as stated on the bill of lading, and contravenes U.S. terrorism regulations.
The lawsuit filed with the U.S. District of Colombia on Tuesday alleges that Iran sought to mask the origin of the oil by transferring it to several vessels before it ended up aboard the Liberian-flagged Achilleas tanker destined for China.
Washington said the scheme involved multiple entities affiliated with Iran s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and its elite Qods Force, both of which have been declared as foreign terrorist organisations by the United States.
By Reuters Staff
2 Min Read
FILE PHOTO: A general view of Abadan oil refinery in southwest Iran, is pictured from Iraqi side of Shatt al-Arab in Al-Faw south of Basra, Iraq September 21, 2019. REUTERS/Essam Al-Sudani/File Photo
LONDON (Reuters) - The United States has filed a lawsuit to seize a cargo of oil it says came from Iran rather than Iraq, as stated on the bill of lading, and contravenes U.S. terrorism regulations.
The lawsuit filed with the U.S. District of Colombia on Tuesday alleges that Iran sought to mask the origin of the oil by transferring it to several vessels before it ended up aboard the Liberian-flagged Achilleas tanker destined for China.