South Korea is pursuing a diplomatic effort to free an oil tanker seized by Iran amid a dispute over frozen bank funds, the latest rise in tensions between Tehran and a US ally.
A South Korean delegation arrived in Tehran on Thursday, three days after the 9,797 tonne oil tanker Hankuk Chemi and its 20 crew members were detained. According to the South Korean Ministry of South Korea, the delegation will lay the groundwork for a visit to Iran on Sunday by the country’s deputy foreign minister.
The seizure of the tanker coincides with the growing international tension between Iran and US allies over the country’s potential ties with commercial disruptions, the progress towards a possible nuclear weapon and alleged cyber attacks.
Tehran said the ship violated environmental regulations, but Seoul disputed the claim. The tanker’s most recent inspection during a port visit to China in 2019 showed no environmental violations and only minor safety violations, according to the European Union’s dispatch database Equasis.
Saeed Khatibzadeh, spokesman for Iran’s foreign ministry, said talks were unlikely to begin until South Korea’s deputy foreign minister arrived.