Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards intercepted the Marshall Islands-flagged cargo vessel Maersk Tigris Tuesday in the strategic Strait of Hormuz leading into the Gulf.
The Iranian Port and Maritime Organization, in a statement, said the vessel was intercepted "upon a legal order" and transferred to Shahid Bahonar port in southern Iran.
The ruling was "based on a lawsuit by a private company called Pars Talayieh Oil Product company (Golden Pars Oil Products) against Maersk ship company," it said.
"This lawsuit has been ongoing in legal courts in recent years and the competent court has issued the ruling" after having heard from both sides in the dispute.
It said Maersk was ordered to pay financial damages in what was a purely commercial case with no political dimensions. The ship can only be released "upon a judicial ruling," it said.
Pars Talayieh, a private company which deals primarily in oil derivatives, was unavailable for comment on the case.
In October 2012, Maersk announced a halt to its activities in Iran after Western oil and financial sanctions were slapped on the country over its controversial nuclear program.
The ship was operated by Rickmers Ship Management, with head offices in Singapore and Hamburg, and was carrying cargo for Maersk Line, the group's shipping unit which had chartered the ship.
A spokesman for the Danish group said the Maersk Tigris does not belong to the company and the 24-member crew are not its employees.
The Danish shipping group A.P. Moeller-Maersk said Wednesday that the crew was safe but remained tight-lipped about any commercial dispute...
AFP
dailystar.com.lb
29/4/15
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Maersk said on Wednesday Iranian authorities had told it the Maersk Tigris vessel had been seized over an unresolved claim, but as it had not received any documents it could not confirm this had been the reason for Iran's actions...
ReplyDeleteIranian patrol boats on Tuesday fired warning shots as they intercepted the vessel in one of the world's busiest oil shipping lanes, spurring the United States to send military vessels to monitor the situation.
"They (Iranian authorities) informed us that the seizure of Maersk Tigris is related to an allegedly unresolved cargo claim," Maersk said in a statement. "We have however not received any written notification or similar pertaining to the claim or the seizure of the vessel. We are therefore not able to confirm whether or not this is the actual reason behind the seizure."
jpost.com by Reuters
29/4/15