Tehran (AFP)

Iran on Friday released a South Korean-flagged oil tanker seized in January when Tehran urged Seoul to release several billion euros frozen due to US sanctions.

This release comes at a time when discussions are taking place in Vienna between Tehran and other world powers to try to save the Iranian nuclear agreement concluded in 2015 and to lift the American sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

Seized in January by the Revolutionary Guards, Tehran's ideological army, the oil tanker Hankuk Chemi "left safely today" and its captain has been released, the South Korean foreign ministry said.

"The release of the ship was ordered by the prosecutor after the completion of the investigation (and) at the request of the owner of the boat and the South Korean government," then confirmed Said Khatibzadeh, spokesman for Foreign Affairs. Iranians, quoted by the official Irna agency.

"The lack of antecedents in the region on the part of the captain and the ship" prompted the prosecutor to take this decision, added Mr. Khatibzadeh.

Websites that track ships indicate that the 147-meter-long tanker is heading for the Strait of Hormuz.

At the time of the seizure of the tanker, Tehran had accused the ship, which was carrying 7,200 tons of "petroleum chemicals", of marine pollution and the twenty crew members had been arrested.

In February, Iran had allowed all crew members except the captain to leave the country for "humanitarian" reasons, but most remained on board, in order to maintain the tanker.

Iran was one of South Korea's main oil suppliers until Seoul ceased its purchases in 2018 after the United States' decision, under President Donald Trump, to exit the international agreement. on Iranian nuclear power.

Tehran has accused Seoul of holding "hostage" seven billion dollars (5.7 billion euros) belonging to Iran, but has repeatedly denied that the seizure of the tanker is linked to this issue.

- Discussions in Vienna -

The new president, Joe Biden, has said he is ready to try to save the Iran nuclear deal and talks between Tehran and the international community have opened this week on the subject in Vienna.

South Korea announced in March that it had agreed to a solution to unlock the frozen funds but await the green light from Washington.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had said Washington would oppose it unless the Islamic Republic again fully complies with the Iranian international nuclear deal.

The South Korean Foreign Ministry made no mention of the funds in its statement on Friday.

On the side of the ship's operator, DM shipping, no one wanted to comment at first.

According to numerous South Korean media, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun will soon be visiting Tehran.

The seizure of the Hankuk Chemi was the first carried out by Iranian forces in more than a year.

In July 2019, the Revolutionary Guards boarded the British-flagged tanker Stena Impero in the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil production passes, before releasing it two months later.

This boarding was then seen as a response to the seizure by the British authorities in Gibraltar of an Iranian tanker who had been released, despite American objections.

Tehran had denied any connection between the two incidents.

Iranian forces seized at least six other ships this in 2019, for suspected fuel smuggling.

© 2021 AFP