Iran Revolutionary Guards seize two Greek oil tankers in the Gulf

Tehran: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards seized two Greek oil tankers in the Gulf Friday, days after Athens confirmed it would deliver to Washington Iranian oil it had seized from a Russian tanker. “The IRGC naval forces today (Friday) seized two Greek oil tankers in the Persian Gulf due to violations that were committed,” the Guards – the ideological arm of the military – said in a statement on their official website. It did not elaborate on what the “violations” were. Greece swiftly accused Iran of “piracy”. The foreign ministry said Iranian helicopters had landed commandos on the two tankers. One of them, the Delta Poseidon, was sailing in international waters at the time, the ministry said. A spokeswoman for the Athens-based company Polembros identified the second tanker as the Prudent Warrior. “The ship has been seized by the Iranian authorities. We have no communication with them at this time,” she told AFP. The Greek foreign ministry said the second tanker was near the Iranian coast when seized. The ministry said nine Greeks were among the crews of the two vessels, but did not give a number for the other sailors on board. Iran’s action against the Greek-flagged tankers marks a sharp escalation in a diplomatic row that has raged since Greece seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker and its Iranian cargo last month. Iran’s foreign ministry demanded earlier Friday that Greece release the vessel, saying the planned transfer of its cargo to the US was a “clear violation” of international law. Athens confirmed on Wednesday it intended to send the 115,000 tonnes of Iranian oil from the tanker Pegas to the United States at the request of the Treasury which overseas the enforcement of US sanctions on Iran. Iran’s foreign ministry summoned the Swiss charge d’affaires, whose country has handled US interests in Iran ever since ties were cut between Tehran and Washington following the 1979 Islamic revolution. The ministry protested “the US government’s pressure and intervention” that led to the seizure of the ship by Greek authorities last month. Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.