“An unjustified confiscation.” In these terms, the United States has put Iran’s detention of two Greek oil tankers into perspective. The latter were seized on May 27 in the waters of the Gulf by the Revolutionary Guards, the ideological army of the Islamic Republic of Iran, who justified their action “because of violations (…) committed” by the two ships, according to a statement , which was published on their website without giving further details.
One of the boats, named Delta Poseido, was sailing in international waters, while the second, which has no name, was near the Iranian coast, according to the Greek Foreign Ministry, which subsequently denounced acts “comparable to piracy”. He had stated that nine Greeks were among the crew of the two ships, but refused to give the total number of seamen on board. For their part, the Iranian authorities gave assurances that the crews remained on board and were in good health.
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Now it is the turn of the United States to raise its voice to persuade Iran to release the two ships. Foreign Minister Antony Blinken spoke on the phone with Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias on Monday, and the two men “agreed that Iran must immediately release the seized ships, their cargo and their crews,” said State Department spokesman Ned Price, who denounced one “Threats to maritime security,” in a press release. “The United States stands by Greece, our key NATO ally and partner in this unjust seizure,” Ned Price said. “Iran’s continued harassment of ships and its encroachments on international freedoms and rights of navigation pose a threat to maritime security and the global economy,” he added.
Seizure of a Russian tanker claimed by Iran
The capture of these two ships comes as Greek authorities seized the Russian tanker Pegas off the island of Euboea on April 19 under European sanctions related to the war in Ukraine. A few days later, the tanker was renamed Lana. However, according to the information at the time, the tanker had 115,000 tons of Iranian oil on board.
Last Wednesday, a spokeswoman for the Greek port police told AFP that this oil was “sent to the United States (…) at the request of the American judiciary”. Following that announcement, Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Friday subpoenaed the Swiss chargé d’affaires, who represents American interests over the breakdown in diplomatic relations between Washington and Tehran following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, according to international conventions” and called for the “immediate lifting of the seizure of the ship and its cargo,” reads a press release published on the State Department’s website.
Iran also reiterated its opposition to “US government pressure and intervention” that led to the vessel’s seizure. According to Tehran, it is under the “sovereignty of the Islamic Republic”. However, according to Greek Coast Guard documents, the tanker is still sailing under the Russian flag.
Nuclear talks stalled
The incidents come as Iran and world powers are still negotiating to try to restore the nuclear deal. The JCPOA (acronym of the 2015 agreement), which provides for drastic restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for lifting international sanctions, has stalled since the United States unilaterally withdrew in 2018 under the presidency of Donald Trump. The election of Joe Biden to the White House has revived efforts to revive him, but negotiations have stalled for two months, although a draft text seemed within reach of signing.
One of the biggest sticking points is Tehran’s request to remove the Guardians from the US blacklist of “terrorist organizations,” a request Washington rejected. For its part, the United States assessed in mid-May that a compromise with Iran to save the deal was “far from certain” and that Iran “must decide whether to insist on non-nuclear terms” or not wants to conclude an agreement quickly,” said a spokesman for American diplomacy. “We and our partners have been ready for some time. The ball is in Iran’s court,” he added.
(With AFP)