Iranian Revolutionary Guard boats sail around US military ships in the Persian Gulf near Kuwait on April 15.

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US NAVY / AP / SIPA

Iran announced on Monday that its Revolutionary Guards had seized the Hankuk Chemi, a South Korean-flagged tanker in Gulf waters.

The boat would have violated "laws on the marine environment", according to the authorities.

The tanker, which left Saudi Arabia, was carrying 7,200 tonnes of petroleum chemicals, according to the Revolutionary Guards website Sepahnews.

He is said to have "repeatedly" violated the laws on the marine environment.

South Korea has demanded the release of the boat and its 20 crew members and has deployed a naval anti-piracy unit in the Gulf region.

South Korea 'demands' release of tanker

According to a statement from the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the seizure of the oil tanker constitutes a "purely technical matter and due to the pollution of the sea".

The ship would have "caused significant pollution in the sea" and would have continued on its way despite warnings from the Guardian patrols before its seizure.

The South Korean foreign ministry "demanded that the ship be released quickly."

The crew is, according to Seoul, safe and sound.

A spokesman for the US government called the seizure a "clear attempt to extort the international community" and also demanded the release of the ship.

Tensions with the United States

The seizure comes as a South Korean foreign affairs official is expected in Tehran.

Iran is seeking to release funds frozen by Seoul due to US sanctions.

A few hours earlier, we also learned that the American aircraft carrier USS Nimitz would remain in the Gulf, due to Iranian “threats” targeting Donald Trump and other officials.

According to the governor of the Iranian Central Bank, the country has seven billion dollars in South Korea.

The freezing of these funds prevents Tehran from using them but South Korea is still claiming account maintenance fees.

The authorities deplore the “slowness” of the process of unlocking these oil revenues.

The Revolutionary Guards had not seized a ship for over a year.

This renewed tension comes as the departure of Donald Trump approaches, who is pursuing a policy of "maximum pressure" on Tehran.

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