Tehran urges Washington to release seized Iranian ship and its crew

Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has labeled the U.S. actions in seizing an Iranian container ship as maritime piracy and called on Washington to release the vessel, its crew, and family members.

"This act, accompanied by intimidation of the passengers, crew of the vessel, and their families, constitutes an act of maritime piracy and terrorism. The Islamic Republic of Iran, warning of serious consequences of this illegal and criminal act by the U.S., emphasizes the need for the immediate release of the Iranian vessel, its passengers, crew, and their families," the statement from the Iranian Foreign Ministry reads.

In Tehran, it was noted that Iran will use all its capabilities to protect national interests, and full responsibility for further escalation of the situation in the region lies with the U.S.

On April 20, the U.S. Central Command reported the interception of a container ship flying the Iranian flag in the Gulf of Oman, which was heading to one of Iran's ports. The actions were taken as part of enforcing a previously established U.S. blockade of Iranian ports. The command stated that after the vessel refused to comply with U.S. military demands, an American destroyer damaged the ship's engine room, after which U.S. Marines boarded the vessel.

Source: TASS