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South Korean delegation heads to Iran over seized ship

Iranian forces detained the 20-member crew of a South Korean-flagged oil tanker that Iran's IRGC said had violated environmental protocols.
A picture obtained by AFP from the Iranian news agency Tasnim on January 4, 2021, shows the South Korean-flagged tanker being escorted by Iran's Revolutionary Guards navy after being seized in the Gulf. - "A Korean ship was seized in Persian Gulf waters by the Revolutionary Guard's navy and transferred to our country's ports," Fars news agency said without naming the vessel. "This tanker had a South Korea flag and was seized over oil pollution and environmental hazards," it added. (Photo by - / TASNIM NEWS

A South Korean delegation will soon depart for Iran to demand the release of a ship seized by Iranian forces in the Persian Gulf earlier this week, Yonhap reported on Wednesday.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) cited environmental concerns when it seized a South Korean-flagged oil tanker in the Persian Gulf on Monday. The MT Hankuk Chemi was transporting 7,200 tons of ethanol when it departed from the Saudi port of Al Jubail bound for Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates.  

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