“The Korean ship [Hankuk Chemi] has been seized for repeated violations of environmental laws, and it must pay compensation for the damage to the environment,” Masoud Polmeh, the chairman of the Shipping Association of Iran, said on Tuesday.
The naval force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) seized the South Korean-flagged tanker Hankuk Chemi in the Persian Gulf waters on Monday.
The IRGC Navy said in a statement that the ship had departed from the Petroleum Chemical Quay in Saudi Arabia's Jubail port before being impounded for polluting the Persian Gulf waters with chemicals.
It added that the ship, which carried 7,200 tons of ethanol, is now being held at Iran's southern Bandar Abbas port city.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry also issued a statement reiterating that a South Korean ship seized purely over technical and environmental issues.
“Based on reports received from local authorities, the issue is purely technical and the ship has been redirected to the coast based on a judicial order for examination of the violation that occurred,” the ministry said.
MR/IRN84173951
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