Iran captures South Korean tanker, Seoul sends naval unit to area

South Korea sent a naval anti-piracy unit in the Gulf following Iran’s seizure of an oil tanker south korean flagSeoul’s defense ministry said on Monday.

The ministry “immediately sent the “Cheonghae” in the waters near the Strait of Hormuz, after receiving a report on the seizure of our commercial vessel by Iran, “according to the ministry statement.

Tensions escalated on Monday when the Revolutionary Guards, Iran’s elite army, captured a South Korean-flagged tanker in Gulf waters, accusing it of violating “the environmental laws marine ”, according to its official website.

“A South Korean-owned ship was seized this morning by (navy) force” from the Guardians, their official Sepahnews website reported, amid mounting tensions in the Gulf between Tehran and Washington, and the decision to Iran. from Monday to enrich the uranium to 20%.

“This tanker has a South Korean flag and was captured by oil pollution and environmental risks, ”he said.

Sepahnews reported on arrest of a member South Korean, Indonesian, Vietnamese and Burmese crew.

“The tanker had left the port of Al Jubail, in Saudi Arabia, and had been seized for repeated violations of the laws on the marine environment”, added the source.

Sepahnews said the South Korean ship is called “Hankuk Chemi” and transported 7200 tons for “petroleum chemicals”.

The seizure was carried out at the request of the maritime organization of the province of Hormozgan and on the order of the provincial prosecutor, adds the Guardians website.

A photo published by Sepahnews shows, somewhat diffuse, three speedboats and a patrol boat approaching the tanker.

Sepahnews does not specify where the ship was seized tank or where it has been moved. Fars had previously reported that the ship had been “seized in Gulf waters (…) and transferred to the country’s ports”.

In July 2019, the Guardians seized the British flagged tanker “Stena Impero” in the strategic Strait of Hormuz and released it two months later.

That same year, they seized at least six other ships, amid growing tensions between Iran and the United States, including over the 2015 international agreement on Iran’s nuclear program, unilaterally abandoned by Donald Trump in May. 2018.

AFP and ANSA

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