Iran releases South Korean oil tanker seized in January
South Korean tanker escorted by Iranian Revolutionary Guard ship, January 4, 2021 in the Persian Gulf.
AP
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2 min
Last January, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards captured the ship and its crew, accusing it of breaking environmental laws.
But the dispute between the two countries over Iranian funds frozen in Seoul seemed to be at the heart of the matter.
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With our correspondent in Seoul,
Nicolas Rocca
The
Hankuk Chemi
was able to resume its journey "
safely
" after three months of immobilization, according to the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
It is difficult to know what motivated Iran to release the boat as
accusations of pollution
from Tehran were refuted by the owner of the vessel.
Rather, the dispute between the two countries seemed to concern the $ 7 billion Iran owned in South Korean banks and blocked by Seoul since the reinstatement of sanctions against the Islamic Republic in 2018.
Iran is a
historical economic partner of South Korea
, especially when it comes to black gold.
These Iranian funds present in South Korean banks facilitated trade between the two countries.
Oil for Seoul against imports of Korean products for Tehran.
Washington opposes the release of Iranian funds in Seoul
In March, South Korea said it had found a solution to release the frozen funds pending the approval of Washington, which opposed this outcome without a prior nuclear agreement with Iran.
This Friday, neither country mentioned a possible solution to repatriate these billions of dollars to Tehran.
South Korean Prime Minister Chung sye-kyun is due to visit the Iranian capital soon.
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See also: South Korean oil tanker seized by Iran: the underside of the Iranian boarding
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