The Revolutionary Guards boarded and took control of the two ships in the Gulf on May 27, citing "violations" that Greece condemned as "equivalent to acts of piracy."
- Iran moved the Greek tanker Delta Poseidon
- Video documentary of the seizure of the Greek tankers in Iran. Breathtaking images
The seizure came two days after Greece confirmed it would ship 115,000 tons of Iranian oil from a Russian-flagged tanker, which was seized in April, to the United States at the request of the U.S. Treasury Department and in accordance with the latter's sanctions regime.
"Iranian fuel was stolen off Greece, then the brave forces of the Islamic Republic made up for it by seizing an enemy ship," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a televised speech on the death of Ayatollah Ali Ruhollah Khomeini, who founded the Islamic Republic, in 1989.
"It is you who stole our oil," Khomeini said, addressing the country's "enemies."
Washington, Germany and France have called on Iran to release the ships.
Athens said Iranian navy helicopters had landed armed men on the two tankers to carry out the seizures.
[BR][BR]Greek authorities said they had earlier seized the Russian-flagged ship to comply with sanctions imposed after Russia invaded Ukraine in February. The Iranian maritime authority had described the move as "international robbery."
Source: KYPE
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