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A30 world news
Diasabra 28 Mei 2022

Iran seizes 2 Greek tankers in Persian Gulf as tensions rise

Associated Press tacks on vessels that damaged
DUBAI, United Arab tankers in 2019, as well as
Emirates (AP) — Iran's for a fatal drone attack on an
paramilitary Revolutionary Israeli-linked oil tanker that
Guard seized two Greek oil killed two European crew
tankers Friday in helicopter- members in 2021.
launched raids in the Persian Iranian hijackers also stormed
Gulf, officials said. The action and briefly captured a Pana-
appeared to be retaliation for ma-flagged asphalt tanker off
Athens' assistance in the U.S. the United Arab Emirates last
seizure of crude oil from an year, as well as briefly seizing
Iranian-flagged tanker this and holding a Vietnamese
week in the Mediterranean tanker in November.
Sea over violating Washing- Tehran denies carrying out
ton's crushing sanctions on the attacks, but a wider shad-
the Islamic Republic. ow war between Iran and the
The raid marks the first ma- West has played out in the re-
jor incident at sea in months gion's volatile waters. Tanker
as tensions remain high be- seizures have been a part of it
tween Iran and the West over since 2019, when Iran seized
its tattered nuclear deal with the British-flagged Stena Im-
world powers. As Tehran en- pero after the United King-
riches more uranium, closer dom detained an Iranian oil
to weapons-grade levels than tanker off Gibraltar. Iran
ever before, worries mount released the tanker months
that negotiators won't find later as London also released
a way back to the accord — the Iranian vessel.
raising the risk of a wider war. sels and their crews, warn- tack with a journalist, iden- hijacking, they drifted into Iran last year also seized and
The Guard issued a state- ing the seizure would have tified the second ship as the Iranian waters. The ships also held a South Korean-flagged
ment announcing the sei- "particularly negative con- Prudent Warrior. Its man- had turned off their tracking tanker for months amid a dis-
zures, accusing the tankers sequences" in bilateral rela- ager, Polembros Shipping in devices, another red flag, the pute over billions of dollars
of unspecified violations. tions and in Iran's relations Greece, earlier said the com- official said. However, nei- of frozen assets Seoul holds.
Nour News, a website close with the European Union, of pany was "cooperating with ther had issued a mayday or a "This incident is assessed
to Iran's Supreme National which Greece is a member. the authorities and making call for help, the official said. to be a retaliatory action in
Security Council, just a short An Iranian helicopter landed every possible effort to ad- Iran's seizure on Friday was line with a history of Iranian
time earlier warned that Teh- on the Greek-flagged Delta dress the situation effective- the latest in a string of hi- forces detaining vessels in
ran planned to take "punitive Poseidon in international wa- ly." jackings and explosions to a tit-for-tat manner," mari-
action" over Greece assisting ters, some 22 nautical miles Greek officials did not iden- roil a region that includes the time intelligence firm Dryad
the U.S. in seizing oil days off the coast of Iran, the min- tify the nationalities of the Strait of Hormuz, the nar- Global warned. "As a result,
earlier from the Iranian- istry said. other crew onboard the ves- row mouth of the Persian Greek-flagged vessels oper-
flagged tanker Lana. "Armed men then took the sels. Gulf through which a fifth ating within the vicinity of
Greece's Foreign Ministry crew captive," it said, add- Both vessels had come from of all traded oil passes. The Iran in the Persian Gulf and
said it made a strong de- ing that two Greek nationals Iraq's Basra oil terminal, incidents began after then- Gulf of Oman are currently
marche to the Iranian am- were among the crew. loaded with crude, according President Donald Trump assessed to be at a heightened
bassador in Athens over the "A similar incident has been to tracking data from Mari- unilaterally withdrew the risk of interception and it is
"violent taking over of two reported on another Greek- neTraffic.com. U.S. from Iran's nuclear deal advised to avoid this area un-
Greek-flagged ships" in the flagged vessel, that was car- A U.S. defense official, speak- with world powers, which til further notice."
Persian Gulf. "These acts ef- rying seven Greek citizens, ing on condition of anonymi- saw Tehran drastically limit Underlining that threat,
fectively amount to acts of close to the coast of Iran," the ty to discuss intelligence mat- its enrichment of uranium Iran's semiofficial Tasnim
piracy," a ministry statement ministry said. ters, said it appeared the two in exchange for the lifting of news agency warned in a
said. A Greek official, speaking ships had come close to — economic sanctions. tweet: "There are still 17 oth-
The ministry called for the on condition of anonymity but not into — Iranian terri- The U.S. Navy blamed Iran er Greek ships in the Persian
immediate release of the ves- to discuss details of the at- torial waters Friday. After the for a series of limpet mine at- Gulf that could be seized."

Iraqi lawmakers pass bill criminalizing any ties with Israel

BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi relations, including business death sentence or life impris- has not recognized Israel region," State Department
lawmakers on Thursday ties, with Israel. The legisla- onment. since the country's formation spokesperson Ned Price said
passed a bill criminalizing tion says that violation of the The law was approved with in 1948; the two nations have in a statement.
normalization of ties and any law is punishable with the 275 lawmakers voting in fa- no diplomatic relations. The Earlier this year, Iran fired a
vor of it in the 329-seat as- legislation also entails risks dozen ballistic missiles to-
sembly. A parliament state- for companies working in wards the northern city of Ir-
ment said the legislation is "a Iraq and found to be in viola- bil in the Kurdish-run north,
true reflection of the will of tion of the bill. saying it was targeting an Is-
the people." The United States said it raeli intelligence base.
Influential Shiite cleric was deeply disturbed by the The home of Baz Karim,
Muqtada al-Sadr, whose par- Iraqi legislation. "In addition the CEO of the oil company
ty won the largest number of to jeopardizing freedom of KAR GROUP, was heavily
seats in Iraq's parliamentary expression and promoting damaged in the attack. KAR
elections last year, called for an environment of antisemi- has been accused in the past
Iraqis to take to the streets to tism, this legislation stands of quietly selling oil to Israel.
celebrate this ""great achieve- in stark contrast to progress A report by the Iraqi parlia-
ment." Hundreds later gath- Iraq's neighbors have made ment's fact-finding commit-
ered in central Baghdad, by building bridges and nor- tee said it found no evidence
chanting anti-Israel slogans. malizing relations with Israel, to support Iranian accusa-
It was unclear how the law creating new opportunities tions of an Israeli spy base in
will be implemented as Iraq for people throughout the Irbil.