US demands immediate release of tanker seized by Iran
The US State Department described the seizure of a South Korean tanker by the Revolutionary Guards as an attempt by the Islamic Republic to engage in “international blackmail.” South Korea’s foreign minister said Seoul was seeking the tanker’s release through diplomatic channels.
The US State Department has called on Iran to immediately release the seized South Korean tanker. “The [Iranian] regime continues to threaten the rights and freedom of navigation in the Persian Gulf as part of a clear attempt to blackmail the international community into easing sanctions pressure,” a US State Department spokesman said, according to Reuters.
The State Department official stressed that the United States "joins South Korea" in calling for the immediate release of the tanker.
Meanwhile, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported, citing the country's foreign minister, that Seoul is seeking to use diplomatic channels to secure the release of the seized tanker. However, South Korea's Defense Ministry announced on Monday (January 4) that it would dispatch anti-piracy units to the region.
On Monday, the Revolutionary Guards seized a South Korean tanker in the Persian Gulf “for repeated violations of environmental laws.” The tanker, which is carrying 7,200 tons of ethanol, is currently being detained in Bandar Abbas.
A South Korean foreign ministry official told Reuters that the ministry was now hesitant to send a senior South Korean diplomat to Tehran to discuss the frozen Iranian funds following the seizure of the tanker. South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kan was previously scheduled to travel to Tehran for talks on Sunday (January 10).
Reuters quoted the South Korean Foreign Ministry official as saying, "The plan for this trip is currently unclear."
Political tensions between Tehran and Seoul have been high in recent months over South Korea's oil debt to Iran. South Korea has frozen the money it bought from Iran in two banks following US sanctions. Iran has repeatedly criticized South Korea for not paying the debt, which is estimated to be around $7 billion. South Korea had previously recalled the Iranian ambassador to Seoul in response to Iranian officials' statements.
