Iran frees seized South Korean tanker

SEOUL – Iran has freed tankers flagged South Korea (South Korea) seized and the ship’s captain amid a dispute over billions of frozen oil funds. This was the statement of the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul on Friday (9/4/2021).

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps seized the tanker Hankuk Chemi in January but South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that its detention had been lifted and the ship departed safely today.

“The ship, with its captain and 12 other crew members, left Iranian port at around 06.00 am,” the South Korean Foreign Ministry was quoted as saying. Al Jazeera.

The crew remained on board for maintenance purposes, although earlier reports said the crew had been allowed to leave Iran in early February.

Also read: Iran Releases South Korean Tanker Crew, Including Indonesians

The release comes amid speculation that Seoul and Tehran are making progress in dealing with Iranian calls to open up a $ 7 billion fund frozen in South Korea under US sanctions.

World powers and Iran are also currently engaged in talks in Vienna to revive the nuclear deal, which the US abandoned during former President Donald Trump’s previous administration.

The Hankuk Chemi incident was the first large ship hijacking by Iranian naval forces in more than a year. Iran’s Navy Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) cited “environmental pollution” as the basis for the seizure.

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