Iranian local media reported on the 4th (local time) that a South Korean oil tanker heading from Saudi Arabia to Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was captured by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
“Captured due to marine pollution, moving to Iranian port and anchoring”
![An oil tanker of Korean nationality was captured by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards in the Persian Gulf and moved to Iranian ports. [타스님 뉴스, AFP=연합뉴스]](https://i0.wp.com/pds.joins.com/news/component/htmlphoto_mmdata/202101/04/31e8a91f-7ea3-4b95-a8c4-23a3487df868.jpg?w=560&ssl=1)
An oil tanker of Korean nationality was captured by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards in the Persian Gulf and moved to Iranian ports. [타스님 뉴스, AFP=연합뉴스]
Iran’s Pars News reported that “Iranian Revolutionary Guards captured Korean ships in the Gulf waters for oil pollution and moved them to Iranian ports.”
Iran’s Tasnim News also reported that “according to the Ministry of Public Affairs of the Revolutionary Guard, the ship was detained for repeated violations of the Marine Environment Law.” did. The media said, “After being captured, the ship was moored at the Port of Bandar Abbas and was handed over to the proceedings of the judicial authorities.”
In this regard, the Associated Press also cited satellite data from Marine Traffic.com, a global ship positioning site, and said that the afternoon of that afternoon, the Korean national tanker Hankuk Chemi is staying near Bandar Abbas, an Iranian port.
Reportedly, the ship was sailing through the Persian Gulf to the port of Fujairah in eastern UAE.
The UK Naval Intelligence Exchange Center, which is active in the waters, also said that there was “interaction” between Iranian authorities and a ship. The UKMTO reported that the ship has since changed course north of Iranian waters.
The US Navy’s 5th Fleet, located in Bahrain, in the Persian Gulf, said it was aware of the situation and is monitoring the situation.
According to British maritime security company Dryad Global, the ship is said to have 23 people on board, including crew of Indonesian and Myanmar nationalities.
In this regard, the government announced that it knows that the Iranian Navy requested the Korean ship to move it. The ship is a Korean national and has five Korean sailors on board, the official said. The government said it was communicating with the Iranian authorities on the matter accordingly.
In the Persian Gulf, as tensions between Iran and the United States have risen, merchant ships and oil tankers from third countries have often been arrested by Iranian authorities.
Reporter Lee Min-jung [email protected]