South Korean tanker was boarded by armed Iran Guard forces

Armed Iranian Revolutionary Guard troops stormed a South Korean tanker and forced ship to change course and travel to Iran, vessel's owner said Tuesday, latest maritime seizure by Tehran amid heightened tensions with West over its nuclear program.

military raid on Monday on MT Hankuk Chemi was at odds with Iranian explanations that y stopped vessel for polluting waters of Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz. Inste, it appeared Islamic Republic sought to increase its lever over Seoul ahe of negotiations over billions of dollars in Iranian assets frozen in South Korean banks amid a U.S. pressure campaign targeting Iran.

Iran on Monday also began enriching uranium up to 20% , a small technical step away from weapons-gre levels of 90%, at its underground Fordo facility. That move appeared aimed at pressuring U.S. in final days of President Donald Trump's ministration, which unilaterally withdrew from Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers, and ahe of inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, who has said he'd be willing to re-enter accord.

An official at DM Shipping Co. Ltd. of Busan, South Korea, who spoke to Associated Press on condition of anymity as he wasn't authorized to talk to journalists, offered details of Hankuk Chemi's seizure. vessel h been traveling from Jubail, Saudi Arabia, to Fujairah in United Arab Emirates when Iranian forces reached ship and said y would board it.

Initially, Iranian forces said y wanted to run an unspecified check on ship, official said. As vessel's captain spoke to company security officials back in South Korea, armed Iranian troops stormed tanker as an Iranian helicopter flew overhe, official said. troops demanded captain sail tanker into Iranian waters over an unspecified investigation and refused to explain mselves, official ded.

company has since been unable to reach captain, official said. Security cameras installed on ship that initially relayed foot on scene on deck to company are w turned off, official said. After company lost contact with captain, company received an anti-piracy security alert tice, suggesting captain activated an onboard warning system, official said. It remains unclear if ship tried to call for outside assistance.

U.S. Navy's Mideast-based 5th Fleet routinely patrols area along with an American-led coalition monitoring Strait of Hormuz, narrow mouth of Persian Gulf through which 20% of world's oil passes. A separate European-led effort also operates re as well. official denied vessel h been polluting waters.

In past months Iran has sought to escalate pressure on South Korea to unlock some $7 billion in frozen assets from oil sales earned before Trump ministration tightened sanctions on country’s oil exports. he of Iran’s central bank recently anunced that country was seeking to use funds tied up in a South Korean bank to purchase coronavirus vaccines through COVAX, an international program designed to distribute COVID-19 vaccines to participating countries.

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry demanded ship’s release, saying in a statement that its crew was safe. crew included sailors from Indonesia, Myanmar, South Korea and Vietnam, according to Iranian Revolutionary Guard. South Korea’s Defense Ministry said it was sending its anti-piracy unit to near Strait of Hormuz - a 4,400-ton-class destroyer with about 300 troops.

U.S. State Department called for tanker’s immediate release, accusing Iran of threatening “navigational rights and freedoms” in Persian Gulf in order to “extort international community into relieving pressure of sanctions.” Last year, Iran similarly seized a British-flagged oil tanker and held it for months after one of its tankers was held off Gibraltar.

latest incidents coincide with anniversary of U.S. drone strike that killed Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Baghd last January. Iran responded by launching ballistic missiles at U.S. bases in Iraq, injuring dozens of U.S. troops. Tehran also accidentally shot down a Ukrainian passenger jet that same night, killing all 176 people on board. As anniversary approached and fears grew of possible Iranian retaliation, U.S. dispatched B-52 bombers over region and ordered a nuclear-powered submarine into Persian Gulf.

Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Christopher Miller said late Sunday that he changed his mind about sending aircraft carrier USS Nimitz home from Middle East and inste will keep vessel on duty. He cited Iranian threats against Trump and or U.S. government officials as reason for redeployment, without elaborating.

Last week, sailors discovered a limpet mine stuck on a tanker in Persian Gulf off Iraq, near Iranian border, as it prepared to transfer fuel to ar tanker owned by a company tred on New York Stock Exchange. one has claimed responsibility for placing mine, though it comes after similar attacks in 2019 near Strait of Hormuz that U.S. Navy blamed on Iran. Tehran denied involvement. 

(Im Credits: AP)