The Iranian Revolutionary Guards have once again confiscated foreign ships. Greece complains to the Iranian ambassador in Athens.
Greece confiscated the tanker Pegas last month. This was flying the Iranian flag.
ran./(dpa/Reuters) The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) have detained two Greek oil tankers in the Persian Gulf. The ships disregarded maritime regulations, the IRGC web portal said on Friday. Further details on the two tankers and the crew are to be announced soon.
Observers suspect an act of retaliation behind the action. A tanker carrying Iranian oil was recently arrested in Greek waters. In protest against this, chargé d’affaires from the Greek and Swiss embassies were summoned to the foreign ministry on Friday. Switzerland also represents US interests in Tehran.
Greece protested against the “forced confiscation” of the tankers at the Iranian ambassador in Athens on Friday, according to the country’s foreign ministry. It called for the immediate release of the ships and their crews and described Iran’s actions as “piracy”.
Last month, Greek authorities detained the Iranian-flagged tanker Pegas off the coast of the southern island of Evia because of EU sanctions.