The foreign ministry on Saturday confirmed that a Cypriot was among the crew of a tanker seized by Iranian forces the previous day.
Two Greek tankers were seized in the Gulf on Friday, shortly after Tehran warned it would take “punitive action” against Athens over the confiscation of Iranian oil by the United States from a tanker held off the Greek coast.
Greece’s foreign ministry said an Iranian navy helicopter landed on Greek flagged vessel Delta Poseidon, which was sailing in international waters, 22 nautical miles from the Iranian shore, and took the crew hostage, among them two Greek citizens.
Cybc had reported in the evening that a Cypriot was among the captured crew, which was confirmed by the foreign ministry on Saturday.
In a written announcement, the ministry condemned the incident, saying it violated international law.
The ministry said it was in close contact and coordination with the Greek authorities to manage the situation, “including its consular dimension”.
It also said that the sailor’s family has been notified and will be kept in the loop.
“The Cypriot ambassador in Tehran has requested an urgent meeting with the Iranian foreign ministry in order to ask for an explanation and additional information about the incident, to be briefed about the condition of the crew and in particular the Cypriot citizen and to request an immediate end to the hostage situation”.
The Revolutionary Guards Navy today seized two Greek tankers for violations in Gulf waters, said a Guards statement, quoted by Iranian state news agency IRNA on Friday. It gave no further details and did not say what the alleged violations were.
Greece said a similar incident took place on another Greek-flagged vessel near Iran, without naming the ship, adding both actions violated international law and Greece had informed its allies, as well as complained to Irans ambassador in Athens.
Greece-based Delta Tankers, which operates the Delta Poseidon, could not be immediately reached for comment.
Greek authorities last month impounded the Iranian-flagged Pegas, with 19 Russian crew members on board, near the coast of the southern island of Evia due to European Union sanctions.
The United States later confiscated the Iranian oil cargo held onboard and plans to send it to the United States on another vessel, Reuters reported on Thursday.
The Pegas was later released.
Earlier on Friday, Nour News, which is affiliated to an Iranian state security body, said on Twitter: Following the seizure of an Iranian tanker by the Greek government and the transfer of its oil to the Americans, #Iran has decided to take punitive action against #Greece.
The Pegas was among five vessels designated by Washington on Feb. 22 two days before Russias invasion of Ukraine for sanctions against Promsvyazbank, a bank viewed as critical to Russias defence sector.
It was unclear whether the cargo was impounded because it was Iranian oil or due to the sanctions on the tanker over its Russian links. Iran and Russia face separate U.S. sanctions.
Irans semi-official Tasnim news agency later quoted an unnamed source as saying: There are 17 other Greek vessels in the Persian Gulf, which could be seized by the Revolutionary Guards if Greece continues its mischievousness.
Informed sources also stress that Greece should take compensatory measures towards the Iranian oil tanker as soon as possible, said Tasnim.
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