The US seized Iranian oil on a tanker operated by a Greek company. Iran responded in kind

The US seized Iranian oil on a tanker at sea in recent days as part of an operation to enforce self-proclaimed sanctions, and a few days later, Iran seized a Greek tanker in retaliation, the three sources said.

The United States, as part of sanctions announced several years ago related to the Iranian nuclear program, seized a Greek tanker carrying Iranian oil. Iran also retaliated by seizing a tanker owned by a Greek shipowner.

IN Once againthe affected party was the Greek shipping companies.

Maritime security company Ambrey said the hijacking of the Greek vessel took place at least five days before Iran’s move on Thursday. “Ambrey assessed the Iranian Navy’s hijacking operation as a response to US actions,” the client bulletin said.

“Both tankers were the size of Suezmax. Iran has previously reciprocated after confiscating Iranian oil cargoes.”

Sources familiar with the matter, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, said Washington took control of the oil cargo aboard the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker Suez Rajan after receiving an earlier court order. According to the latest information, the tanker was in neutral waters near southern Africa on April 22.

The Greek-based ship’s manager, Empire Navigation and the US Department of Justice did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The US Navy said on Thursday Iran seized a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker in the Gulf of Oman, in what was Tehran’s latest seizure or attack on commercial vessels in vulnerable Persian Gulf waters.

Iran’s state television reported on Friday that the tanker ignored radio communications for eight hours after colliding with an Iranian vessel, which left several crew members injured and three missing. – said the deputy commander of the Iranian Navy, Rear Admiral Mostafa Tajodini.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres was aware of the seizure of the Gulf of Oman and reaffirmed support for international maritime law, a UN spokesman said Friday.

Last year, the US attempted to confiscate a shipment of Iranian oil from a Greek port, prompting Tehran to seize two Greek tankers in the Persian Gulf. Greek courts made 2 decisions, and then it was confirmed by the Supreme Court of Greece, after which the Greek authorities released the tanker and returned the oil to its board. At the same time, according to the “Athenian News”, Greece had to load on board the tanker part of own oilsince the USA, refused to return the oil, which was previously confiscated and immediately sent overseas. Later two Greek tankers were released.

This story began in April 2022, when the Greek authorities arrested the ship Lana under the Iranian flagformerly called pegasus, with 19 Russian crew members on board, off the coast of the island of Evia, allegedly due to European Union sanctions.

The epic with tankers lasted more than six monthsand the companies received a total damage in the amount of more than 100 million euros. Naturally, no compensation was paid to the “ally”.

Read more about this story in the post. Tanker “Lana”: the end of a dirty story?

On Thursday, 12 US senators called on President Joe Biden to remove the Treasury Department’s political hurdles that have prevented the Department of Homeland Security from seizing Iranian oil supplies for more than a year.

In 2020, Washington confiscated carried out a piracy four shipments of Iranian fuel aboard foreign ships bound for Venezuela and ferried them, with the help of unknown foreign partners, to two other ships, which then sailed for the United States.

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