Korean ship case completely technical: Spokesman
Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Tuesday that as previously announced, the problem of the Korean ship is completely technical, stressing that the Islamic Republic of Iran, like all countries, is fully sensitive to the preservation of the marine environment.
Saeed Khatibzadeh made the remarks in response to a question on the latest situation of the Korean ship, adding that Iran seriously deals with environmental violations in accordance with the law.
"The Korean government's behavior in this regard is incomprehensible and rejected. We urge the Korean government to deal with the technical issue rationally and responsibly," he added.
The Ports and Maritime Organization, as the body in charge of the sea environment, is planning to provide the necessary assistance to the ship and its crew and will release the necessary information in this regard, Khatibzadeh noted.
Khatibzadeh said the Korean deputy foreign minister is slated to visit Tehran in near future but it has nothing to do with the issue and there is no agreement for a separate visit between the two countries, as the issue goes ahead on a defined legal path and does not require a diplomatic trip.
On Monday, the IRGC public relations office confirmed that its forces had seized South Korean Hankuk Chemi vessel in the Persian Gulf for violating the environmental protocols.
The vessel had left Saudi Arabia's al-Jubail Port before it was seized by the IRGC naval force.
The South Korean tanker was carrying 7,200 tons of oil-based chemicals and had on board nationals from South Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Myanmar.
END