Iran claims it had court order to legally seize Greek oil tanker

By AP 11 January 2024, 7:18 pm

2 Edit

In this satellite photo provided by Planet Labs PBC, vessels identified as the Virgo, left, and the Suez Rajan, by the advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran, are seen in the South China Sea on Feb. 13, 2022. (Planet Labs PBC via AP, File)

Iran says the nabbing of an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman earlier today was legal and is backed by a court order.

The Iranian navy’s “seizure of the oil tanker does not constitute hijacking; rather, it is a lawful undertaking sanctioned by a court order and corresponds to the theft of Iran’s very own oil,” Iran’s mission to the United Nations tells The Associated Press in a statement. “Adhering to the established legal procedures is the most prudent approach for the resolution of this matter.”

The St. Nikolas was earlier named the Suez Rajan, associated with the Greek shipping company Empire Navigation.

In a statement to the AP, Athens-based Empire Navigation acknowledged losing contact with the vessel, which has a crew of 18 Filipinos and one Greek national.

“Empire have no such knowledge of a court order or the Iranian navy having seized their vessel, and have still not been contacted by anyone,” the company said.

In 2021, the Suez Rajan was involved in a yearlong dispute that ultimately saw the US Justice Department seize 1 million barrels of Iranian crude oil on it.