Iran: Greek-owned tanker Prudent Warrior moves to Bandar Abbas

LAST UPDATE: 16:58

The tanker Prudent Warrior is currently being transported to the largest Iranian port, Bandar Abbas, within the Persian Gulf, according to information from capital.gr. The said ship belongs to the company Polembros Shipping Limited, interests of Spyros Polemis.

The Delta Poseidon, which belongs to the fleet of Diamantis Diamantidis’s Delta Tankers company, has moved into the territorial waters of Iran since Friday and remains there.

The sailors have contacted their families and are in good health, while the Iranian army has returned their mobile phones.

Earlier, information from the Trade Winds website reported that both ships were heading for the Iranian port.

The Prudent Warrior has 23 sailors, 15 Filipinos, seven Greeks and one Cypriot. There are 21 Filipinos and two Greek sailors in the Delta Poseidon.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the Iranian regime’s elite military organization, has formally claimed responsibility for the attacks.

According to the managers of the two Greek companies, the Iranian authorities did not give any official justification for the seizure of the ships on Friday, but only stated that they are carrying out a regular inspection to check the ships’ papers and their condition.

Plakiotakis: Attacking the two under the Greek flag is tantamount to piracy

Earlier today, the Minister of Shipping Giannis Plakiotakis had stressed that “the attack against the two ships under the Greek flag, is a clear violation of the rules of international law and is equivalent to piracy.

“Since yesterday, the Foreign Ministry has taken a very strong step towards the Iranian ambassador, emphasizing that this action strengthens bilateral relations, but also Iran’s relations with the European Union, which was immediately informed. The crew members of the two ships, according to our latest communication, are in good health. “In close cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we are taking all measures to release the sailors and ships,” the statement added.

Threatens Iran with more ship seizures

Tehran, meanwhile, has threatened more Greek tanker commitments in the region.

The two ships were seized in retaliation for the seizure by Greece of an oil tanker carrying Iranian oil, at the request of the United States.

However, according to the semi-official Iranian Tasnim news agency, which is affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, warned that another 17 Greek-flagged tankers currently floating in the Persian Gulf would be seized by Iran if the oil and tanker were seized. Greece last month did not return.

Iran has a history of retaliating against the seizure of oil tankers in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz in response to ships carrying its oil that have been blocked or seized. However, the incident with the Greek ships marks the first time in months that ships under a foreign flag are targeted by Iran.

Iranian media reported that the two Greek ships had a total capacity of 1.8 million barrels of oil and that their cargo was now in the possession of Iran.