Asian crew of seized South Korean tanker to be released by Iran in ‘humanitarian move’

The crew of the Hankuk Chemi, from South Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam and Myanmar, were detained on January 4 by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards

Tehran has denied that the tanker’s seizure is connected the billions of dollar of Iranian assets frozen in South Korea because of US sanctions

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The seized South Korean-flagged tanker Hankuk Chemi is escorted by Iranian Revolutionary Guard boats in the Persian Gulf last month. Photo: Tasnim News Agency via AP

Published: 9:09am, 3 Feb 2021Updated: 9:17am, 3 Feb 2021

Iran says it has allowed all crew except the captain from a South Korean tanker seized last month for alleged pollution to leave the country in a “humanitarian move”.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps seized the Hankuk Chemi and arrested its multinational crew of 20 sailors near the strategic Strait of Hormuz on January 4, saying it had polluted the waters.

The development came as Tehran urged Seoul to release billions of dollars of Iranian assets frozen in South Korea due to US sanctions.

“In a humanitarian move by Iran, the crew of the South Korean tanker accused of polluting the environment of the Persian Gulf were allowed to leave the country,” foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said in a statement on Tuesday.

Permission had been granted upon “the request of the South Korean government and [with] the cooperation of the judiciary in Iran”, he added.

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