Such actions by Iran are aimed at disrupting international trade, the US State Department said.
The United States of America called on Iran to immediately release the tanker and its crew held captive in the Gulf of Oman. This is what US State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said in a briefing on Thursday, January 11.
“Iranian authorities should immediately release the ship and its crew,” he said.
According to a State Department spokesman, it was an illegal seizure of a commercial vessel. Such actions by Tehran or supported by Iran are aimed at disrupting international trade, he added.
It was previously reported that the tanker St. Nikolas, escorted by men in military uniform, moved off the coast of Oman on Thursday and headed for Iran. Later, the command of the Iranian Navy confirmed the fact that the ship was detained.
The tanker, owned by the Greek shipping company Empire Navigation, was carrying Iraqi oil and was en route from Basra (Iraq) to Turkey via the Suez Canal. The ship was chartered by the Turkish company Tupras. At the same time, the Iranian side called the tanker “American.”
The tanker was previously named Suez Rajan. According to the US, he brought Iran’s oil in violation of US sanctions. The dispute between the US Department of Justice and the owner of the company was resolved in 2023 by sending the US 1 million barrels of Iranian oil, which were confiscated.
Source: korrespondent
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