Iran “No diplomatic visit required”… Ship capture solution’drift’

Although the Korean government has decided to dispatch a delegation to resolve the issue of Iran’s detention of Korean ships, the Iranian side insists that there is no need for negotiations, advocating “environmental pollution” of the captured Korean ships. As Iran’s intention of seizure is revealed by the recovery of its assets of $7 billion frozen in South Korea, the government is considering a situation that can prolong the time while preparing for legal response. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the government dispatches four delegations made up of African Middle East Bureau Director Ko Gyeong-seok and working-level officials to Iran late on the 6th. The delegation plans to resolve the detention issue through bilateral negotiations with Iran in the region. However, the Iranian side showed a strong stance that it was “unintelligible and unacceptable.”

In a commentary by spokesman Said Hativjade, a spokesman for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said on the website that day, “the Korean ship issue is completely technical,” and said, “Like all other countries, Iran is very sensitive to the conservation of the marine environment. He then argued that “the Korean government’s move is incomprehensible and unacceptable.” Spokesman Hativjade said, “We have not reached any agreement on separate visits between the two sides because diplomatic visits are not necessary.” This is a rebuttal to the remarks by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that the day before, the first Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Choi Jong-Geon was planning to visit Iran on the 10th, 2 nights and 3 days, and talks about captured ships could come out here. Spokesman Hativjade also said that Choi’s visit to Iran was “unrelated to this issue.”

As Iran continued to emphasize the environmental pollution issue, the Korean government began to prepare for legal response in this regard. On that day, the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Transportation Affairs Committee requested an emergency meeting, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs provided a report on the pending issue, saying, “We are preparing a legal response as one of the measures to resolve the detention situation.” First of all, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is confirming the authenticity of Iran’s claim that the detainment of ships was related to environmental pollution, controversy over whether it is in high seas or territorial seas, and whether Iranian forces comply with international laws in the process of boarding Korean ships. Korean shipping companies have always insisted that “there was no polluting activity.”

As Iran’s export proceeds seized by the Bank of Korea in the background of the seizure incident continue to be pointed out, it is becoming more difficult to find a solution. The day before, Iranian government spokesman Ali Ravieri, questioning Iran’s oil exports frozen at Korea’s IBK and Woori Bank, said, “If there is a hostage criminal, it is the South Korean government that freezes over 7 billion US dollars of our funds for unfounded reasons. Criticized.

The Korean government is trying to resolve it through humanitarian trade, such as the Corona 19 vaccine, to pay $7 billion to Iran, but it is difficult to resolve unless sanctions against Iran are lifted. “The spread of Corona 19 in Iran is so severe that the US President Donald Trump has insisted that it can be used for medical supplies and vaccines,” said Foreign Minister Song Young-gil. “So, the government consulted with the United States to pay more than 10 million dollars. “We are buying and providing them to Iran.” He continued, “Iran is not satisfied with this situation and expresses tremendous dissatisfaction,” he said.

Iran’s recent successive precipitation, including the capture of Korean ships and the expansion of uranium enrichment capacity, seems to be aimed at the next US administration, Joe Biden. It aims to lift sanctions through maximum pressure against the Biden government, which is considered relatively modest than the Trump administration. However, the Trump administration is pushing Iranian sanctions until the end of the term. The US Treasury Department said in a statement on the 5th that “15 Iranian companies, including 12 Iranian steel and metal manufacturers and 3 overseas sales agencies, will be added to the sanctions list.”

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