Iran Press/Iran news: Iranian first Vice President Eshagh Jahangiri said that the United States and the United Kingdom illegally seized the supertanker laden with Iran’s oil after they realized Iran’s solutions for selling its oil, according to Mehr News agency.
"US and UK’s measure to seize Iran’s oil tanker was in violation of international laws and this act will bring disgrace upon them. They realized that Iran has found solutions to sell its oil; so they went too far, and ignoring international regulations, produced a spark which will embroil themselves," Jahangiri said while addressing the nationwide governors’ conference in Tehran on Thursday.
The British navy seized an Iranian tanker at Gibraltar on Thursday (July 4th) at the request of the United States.
Iran’s Deputy FM Abbas Araghchi rejected the British claim, saying the tanker wasn’t heading for Syria at all.
Tehran has slammed the British move as piracy, urging the immediate release of the tanker.
London claims that the tanker had been carrying Iranian oil to Syria, which is under European Union’s sanctions but Iran says first, the tanker was not headed to Syria, and second, Iran is not a member an EU member and also not subject to any European oil embargo.
The EU imposed sanctions on Syria in 2011 but hasn't been approved by the UN. It's the first time an EU member state seizes an oil cargo since then. 203/208
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