IRG Seizes South Korean-flagged Ship

By Staff, Agencies

The Islamic Revolution Guard [IRG] Navy seized a South Korean-flagged ship in the Persian Gulf over environmental hazards, sources said.

Informed sources said on Monday that the Iranian forces seized the ship in the Persian Gulf due to environmental and chemical pollution concerns.

The IRG Navy’s Public Relations department said in a statement that the South Korean-flagged oil tanker, named HANKUK CHEMI, had departed from Saudi Arabia’s Al Jubail port.

The tanker, carrying 7,200 tons of oil chemical materials has been captured by the IRG Navy’s Zolfaqar flotilla because of “repeated violation of environmental regulations”, the statement said, adding that the crew are from South Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam and Myanmar.

The oil tanker has berthed at Iran’s southern port city of Bandar Abbas for legal procedures to be performed by the Iranian Judiciary officials, it noted.

The IRG also said that the vessel was captured at 10 am local time on Monday at the request of the Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran and after the provincial prosecutor of Hormozgan issued a warrant.