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Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has seized a South Korean tanker accused of polluting the Persian Gulf with chemical aerosols. Tehran has reportedly seized a South Korean tanker amid tensions between Iran and the United States towards the end of US President Donald Trump’s term. Iran’s semi-official news agency MT Hancock has published a photo of the detained Chemi tanker. The news agency said it contained 72,000 tons of ethanol.
Experts fear that Republican President Donald Trump may launch a reckless attack on Iran before handing over power to Democrat Joe Biden. Trump will be in charge for less than three weeks. In the short term, it could launch a major offensive in Iran. Tensions between Washington and Tehran have increased dramatically during the first anniversary of the assassination of Iranian General Qasim Solaimani.
Amid those fears, Iran seized a South Korean tanker, one of the United States’ allies in Asia. Its crew has also been detained along with the tanker. They include citizens of Indonesia, Vietnam, and Myanmar, in addition to South Korea. However, the number of employees was not disclosed. The tanker was kept in the Iranian port of Abbas.
The South Korean-flagged tanker was heading from Saudi Arabia to the port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, according to two maritime security companies. The tanker’s owner’s statement was not immediately known. A spokesman for the United States Navy Fifth Fleet said they were aware of the tanker’s arrest and were monitoring the situation.
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