Fate of seized South Korean tanker, crew out of Iran’s hands, says foreign minister
The decision is the latest in a growing financial dispute between Tehran and Seoul ignited by US sanctions.
The release of South Korea’s seized oil tanker and its crew is now a matter of the courts and out of the hands of the Iranian government, Iran’s foreign minister said Monday. The decision is the latest in a growing financial dispute between Tehran and Seoul ignited by US sanctions.
Mohammad Javad Zarif was quoted by state news agency IRNA as announcing the decision to a South Korean delegation that had visited Tehran on Monday to press for the release of the tanker and its crew.
The case, Zarif was quoted as saying, is now under review “within the framework of legal and judicial regulations.” Instead, Iran’s top foreign diplomat flipped the script and urged South Korea to remove obstacles that would impede Iran's access to financial resources.
A South Korea delegation, led by Deputy Foreign Minister Choi Jong-Kun, arrived in Tehran this week to resolve tensions after the seizure of a South Korean-flagged oil tanker and its crew in the Strait of Hormuz on Jan. 4.
