In thriller evolves the occupation of the two Greek-owned tankers from the Guards of the Revolutionwho hold captive crew members.
According to a US official, quoted by the Associated Press, The two ships approached the territorial waters of Iran without entering themwhile the same source emphasizes that the tankers had their detection devices turned off.
Then, the official said, the ships moved to the sea area of ​​Iran. These moves were considered suspicious, but neither of the two ships had appealed for help.
Breaking: Iran seizes 2 Greece-owned & flagged tankers in retaliation for Iranian oil seized off Greece earlier by US authorities (@lloydslisted exclusive story here: https: //t.co/yx5mTrC6dt) suezmaxes are Prudent Warrior & Delta Poseidon. https://t.co/IrKmWzfD7f for updates pic.twitter.com/SiRfkuH5iN
– Michelle Wiese Bockmann (@Michellewb_) May 27, 2022
Before the Iranians boarded the ships, they approached me military helicoptersfrom which the Guards of the revolution invaded and brought them under their control.
As mentioned by one of the two tankers transported oil cargo from Basra, Iraq to the United States.
Both seized Greek ships have a capacity of 1.8 million barrels of oil or other petroleum products, which, if fully loaded, are now available in Iran.
According to the Foreign Ministry, a helicopter of the Iranian navy crashed, on Friday afternoon, on the Greek flag ship Delta Poseidon which sailed in international waters (22 nautical miles off the coast of Iran) in the Gulf.
Subsequently, gunmen captured the ship’s crew, including two Greek citizens. A similar incident was reported to have occurred on another Greek-flagged ship on board seven Greek citizens, and located near the Iranian coast.
Step of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
Iran’s move is attributed in retaliation for Athens for seizing a shipment of Iranian crude oil transported by a Russian tanker on April 15 off the coast of Evia and Greece’s decision on Thursday, May 26, to ship the cargo to the United States.
Athens’s reaction was immediate, as by order of Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias, the Secretary General of the Ministry Themistoklis Demiris held on Friday afternoon intense protest to the Iranian ambassador in Athens. In a statement, the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs notes that “the above acts are essentially equivalent to acts of piracy “. The Secretary-General strongly condemned these acts, which are contrary to fundamental rules of international law and international navigation. He called for the immediate release of the ships and their crews. He also stressed that these acts will have a particularly negative impact on bilateral relations, as well as on EU relations. “Iran.”
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