Iran on Tuesday accused South Korea of holding $7 billion of its funds "hostage" but stressed that Tehran's seizure of a Korean tanker in Gulf waters was not a tit-for-tat move.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on Monday sent out naval speedboats to seize the Hankuk Chemi with 20 crew aboard, accusing it of "breaking maritime environmental law".
South Korea has demanded the release of the ship and dispatched its anti-piracy unit to the region.
"We are not hostage-takers," Iran's government spokesman Ali Rabiei told a press conference. "We are used to such allegations. But ... it is the government of Korea that has taken over $7 billion of ours hostage on baseless grounds".
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Update #1: South Korean tanker seized by Iran highlights $7bn dispute (Financial Times)
Update #2: Iran Demands South Korea Unfreeze $7BN In Assets While It Detains Tanker Crew (Zero Hedge)
WNU Editor: No one is believing this Iranian position .... Iran denies seized Korean ship and crew are being held as hostages (Reuters). In the meantime South Korea will be sending a delegation to Iran to demand the release of the crew and ship .... South Korea to send delegation after Iran seizes tanker (BBC), and South Korean anti-piracy forces have been deployed to the Middle East .... South Korean forces arrive in waters near strait of Hormuz amid Iran tensions (The Guardian).
RoK should deploy their versions of the Burke class DDG to the Persian Gulf and conduct a “training exercise “ with CVN-68.
ReplyDeleteIranian Government revenue was 2,161,900 IRR on DEC 2018. It might be quite bit lower with sanctions. 7 billion might be 1% compared to revenue. So maybe that is the motive. They really need the money.
ReplyDeleteThere might have been another US allied shipping around that was worth the costs of sanctions money or angering a country.
The Iranians figured the South Koreans are too far away to project power.
Seizure makes good political theater and will win support from fractions of the Iranian people, who approve of such things or so the gangsters think.
"As a result, the ruling mullahs are facing one of the worst budget deficits in their four-decade history of being in power. Iran's regime is currently running a $200 million budget deficit per week and it is estimated that if the pressure on Tehran continues, the deficit will hit roughly $10 billion by March 2021. This deficit will, in return, increase inflation and devalue the currency even further."
The Iranians are searching the sofa cushions for change.
If Beijing Biden is elected or not, roughing someone up increases Mullah street cred.
Beijing Biden will pull the mullah's fat out of the fire, but Iran still will have a bad spring before it gets better during the summer or thereafter.
The Iranians never approved the JCPOA.
ReplyDeleteBut the haggard whore Beijing Biden wants to abide by it.
Blah blah, board and seize it already
ReplyDelete