Iran seized two Greek oil tankers in the Persian Gulf and Athens confirmed it was an act of piracy

The The Guardians of the Revolution, Iran’s ideological army, announced on Friday the confiscation of two Greek oil tankers In the waters of the Persian Gulf, shortly after its protest against Greece’s seizure of an Iranian oil tanker.

The Revolutionary Guards indicated in a statement on its website Its naval forces had “seized today (Friday) two Greek oil tankers (…) because of the violations they committed.”

Following this statement, the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed in a statement that “These acts are comparable to piracy,” warning Greek citizens who avoid traveling to Iran.

Athens stated that armed men had removed the two tankers from Iranian navy helicopters. one of the ships Delta PoseidonThe ministry said, she was sailing in international waters at the time.

A spokeswoman for the Athens-based Polembros said that the second tanker is Wise warrior. “The ship was seized by the Iranian authorities. We have no contact with them at this time‘ He told the agency France Press agency.

For its part, the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that The second tanker was near the Iranian coast at the time of its capture, and there were nine Greek citizens among the crews of the two ships, But he did not say how many other sailors were on board.

Athens notified the European Union and the International Maritime Organization of the incidentMinistry said.

The Chargé d’Affairs of the Swiss Embassy represented by him Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Friday summoned the United States on Iranian soil to lodge a “strong protest against the violation of international regulations and free trade.”. The Iranian Foreign Ministry also called for the immediate release of the ship.

Thursday, The United States had seized a shipment of Iranian oil seized on a ship operated by Russia near Greece. It announced that it would send the shipment to North America on another ship.

It was not clear whether the shipment was confiscated because it was Iranian oil or because of sanctions imposed on the tanker for its ties with Russia.. Iran and Russia face separate US sanctions.

The Iranian-flagged ship, the Pegas, was one of five ships designated by Washington on February 22 — two days before the Russian invasion of Ukraine — for sanctions against Promsvyazbank, a bank considered essential to the defense sector, of Russia.

The ship’s Russian owner, Transforflot, was subsequently punished on May 8. The tanker, which was renamed Lana on March 1 and has been flying the Iranian flag since May 1, has been in Greek waters ever since. Previously she had a Russian flag.

The Persian Gulf was a theater Numerous incidents since May 2019, including attacks on tankers and trucks, Between the rising tensions between Iran and the United States about Penalties imposed by the latter on the sale of Iranian oil.

In the last incident, Iran accused the United States of trying to hijack an oil tanker carrying Iranian crude for the theft of fuel in the Sea of ​​Oman in October, a measure prevented by the Navy of the Revolutionary Guards.

With information from AFP and EFE

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