Two Greek oil tankers were arrested by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Friday in the Persian Gulf for violations, Tasnim reports.
The IRGC Navy today arrested two Greek oil tankers for violations they committed in the azure waters of the Persian Gulf, the IRGC said in a statement on Friday.
This happened a few days after an Iranian oil tanker was detained by Greece in its territorial waters with the subsequent transfer of oil to the United States.
Earlier on Friday, Iranian publication Nour News reported that the country was going to take punitive measures against Greece in connection with the seizure of the tanker.
The Iranian Port and Maritime Organization (PMO) released a statement Wednesday calling the US detention of an Iranian oil cargo from a Russian vessel in Greek territorial waters an act of piracy that violates international standards.
The PMO said the ship was detained by the Greek government off the coast of that country, and the cargo on board the ship was seized by court order and in coordination with the US government.
Reuters reported Thursday, citing unnamed sources, that the US Justice Department seized 700,000 barrels of Iranian oil seized last month off the southern Greek island of Evia aboard a Russian vessel.
In two seemingly similar operations, the Suezmax Delta Poseidon and Prudent Warrior, both under the Greek flag, were captured by Iranian forces on Friday afternoon, Lloyd's List Intelligence report says.
Athens announced on Friday that Iranian Navy helicopters had landed militants on two tankers earlier in the day.
One of them, Delta Poseidon, was in international waters at the time, the Greek Foreign Ministry said, adding that the second tanker was off the Iranian coast at the time of the hijacking.
The ministry also said there were nine Greeks among the crew members of both ships, but did not name the number of other sailors on board.
Athens informed the European Union and the International Maritime Organization of the incident, they added.
Delta Poseidon's destination was Agioi Theodoroi, near Corinth, according to Lloyd's List Intelligence, and the cargo was believed to be destined for the Motor Oil refinery located there.
