Iran Seizes South Korean Oil Tanker In Arabian Gulf, Crew Members Detained

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have seized a South Korean flagged tanker in Arabiain Gulfbounded for UAE and Saudi.

Iranian state and semi-official media sources have reported that the Revolutionary Guards navy has intercepted a South Korean ship accused of contaminating Gulf waters with chemicals.

Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency has also released photos of the captured South Korean ship.

They said the crew members had been arrested. They included citizens of South Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam and Myanmar, but Tasneem did not say how many they were. He said the tanker had been transferred to the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas.

South Korea’s foreign ministry did not immediately comment on Iran’s seizure of its tanker. Iranian officials have not issued an official statement on the incident. It happened a few days before his visit.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry has also confirmed the visit of the South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister and said that it will discuss the issue of Iran’s  $7 billion funds frozen in South Korea. South Korea confiscated the Iranian money after US sanctions were imposed.

The South Korean flagship was en route to the United Arab Emirates, but instead headed for Iranian territorial waters. It was on its way from Saudi Arabia to the UAE port of Fujairah. The owner of the ship could not be reached immediately.

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