Detaining ships.. 5 questions and their answers explaining Iran's strategy to liberate its oil shipments

Weeks after Athens seized an Iranian oil shipment near the town of Oia on the island of Santorini, the Revolutionary Guards Navy on Friday seized two oil tankers called "Delta Sweden" and "Prudent and Rior", which carry the Greek flag, in the Gulf waters, and pulled them to Iranian shores

.

The detention of the two Greek oil tankers came after the announcement of the transfer of Iranian oil cargo from aboard a Russian oil tanker to a ship bearing the flag of Liberia in preparation for its transfer to Washington, at the request of the American judiciary.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guards adopted the detention of the two Greek tankers just two hours after the Iranian Supreme National Security Council took a decision to implement "punitive measures" against Athens, and justified its move due to what it called "their failure to comply with the instructions and maritime navigation laws."

Next, Al Jazeera Net is trying to shed light on the circumstances of the kidnappings and the seizure of oil tankers between Iran and the West. It also addresses, by answering some questions, the Iranian strategy to ensure the sale of its oil in light of US sanctions:

1- What is Iran's strategy to ensure the sale of its oil and the liberation of its ships held abroad under US sanctions?

The Iranian researcher in strategic affairs, Mahdi Azizi, believes that his country has switched to adopting a "two yards" strategy in dealing with countries that try to impede the flow of their oil in line with US sanctions, he said, explaining that Tehran had been implementing a "tooth for a tooth" policy. An eye for an eye” over the past years.

Azizi added - to Al-Jazeera Net - that the Revolutionary Guards' arrest of two Greek tankers in response to Athens' seizure of one Iranian oil tanker, indicates Tehran's determination to draw up new rules of engagement in the framework of its deterrence of forces that want to harm the interests of the Iranian people.

The Iranian researcher accused the United States of taking small European countries as a ride to implement their plans in order to pressure Tehran to abandon some of its demands in the nuclear negotiations, adding that it is not excluded that his country will stop other Greek oil tankers in the Gulf waters if Athens continues to cooperate with Washington to confiscate oil. Iranian.

Azizi concluded that Tehran has succeeded in thwarting the policy of maximum pressure aimed at zeroing its oil exports, stressing that force is no longer the preserve of the United States, and that Iran possesses a great deterrent force that it will not hesitate to use to safeguard its interests.

2- What are the most prominent ships that Iran has seized or seized in the Gulf waters?

Azizi enumerated the most important operations carried out by the Iranian forces to ensure the continued sale of oil and the return of its revenues to the country, as follows:

On July 19, 2019, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards seized the British-flagged oil tanker "Stena Impero" in the Strait of Hormuz, in response to the British Royal Marines' seizure of the Iranian oil tanker "Grace 1" (which Tehran later changed its name to "Arian Darya"). 1" on July 4, 2019, off the coast of Gibraltar in the Mediterranean, on suspicion of transporting oil to the Syrian regime, in violation of European Union sanctions.

On January 4, 2021, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards seized the South Korean oil tanker "MT Hankook Chemi" near the Strait of Hormuz, claiming environmental pollution, in response to Seoul's seizure of Iranian funds.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard revealed that it had seized a foreign oil tanker on October 24, 2021, alleging that the US military had used it, in its attempt to seize another tanker shipment loaded with Iranian oil in the Gulf of Oman.

3- Why does Iran prefer the detention of ships over other legal means to free its tankers held by other countries?

Iranian strategic researcher Hossein Delerian refers to the proverb that "he who has tried the tempted will suffer remorse," stressing that his country has tried all legal means to release its ship, "Grace 1," which was arrested by local authorities in Gibraltar in 2019, but to no avail.

Delirian explained - in an interview with Al Jazeera Net - that the similar step that was manifested in Iran's detention of the British Impero ship proved its usefulness in liberating Iranian ships and ensuring Iranian oil exports, despite US sanctions.

Delerian made it clear that his country deals with the arrest of its ships on the basis of the principle of maritime piracy, and considers it the duty of its armed forces to expedite the release of its oil tankers by all available means, and will not miss the opportunity while awaiting the issuance of condemnatory statements from the international circles dominated by Washington, as he put it.

The Iranian oil shipment is being unloaded on another ship in preparation for its transfer to the United States (Reuters)

4- How did Tehran deal with Greece's seizure of the Iranian oil tanker?

Days after the sailing of the oil tanker "Pegas" (which changed its name to Lana) from the Iranian island of Siri, it experienced a technical failure near the town of Oia on April 8, and it was forced to change its destination to Greek waters, according to the Iranian newspaper, "Jam Jam" .

The newspaper added that the Greek authorities seized in mid-April the oil tanker, which was carrying a load of 700,000 barrels of Iranian oil, and raised the Russian flag, as belonging to Russia. Europe on Moscow against the backdrop of its war on Ukraine.

The newspaper accused the Greek side of violating international laws and standards of the law of the sea and international agreements by delivering the cargo of Iranian oil to the United States, which Iran considers maritime piracy, adding that the Islamic Republic has detained the two Greek tankers after its diplomatic follow-up failed.

5- Does the Iranian side see a connection between the detention of one of its ships and the failure of the nuclear negotiations?

Professor of International Law at Tehran University Reza Nasri warns that his country will miss the opportunity to revive the nuclear agreement, stressing that in the event of the collapse of the Vienna negotiations, the issue of the detention of Iranian ships will turn into the task and duty of all countries, especially friendly and neighboring countries, in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions.

In a series of tweets he posted on his Twitter account, Nasri urged Tehran to cut off the road to those stalking his country, and wrote, "The economic situation will worsen after the failure of the nuclear negotiations, and the country will be exposed to a more serious security threat, as well as the diplomatic option will be exposed to many political and legal obstacles." .

The professor of international law at the University of Tehran added, "Then there is no other diplomatic option before Iran implements all Security Council resolutions, if the nuclear negotiations fail."

Nasri wondered whether his country would be able to confront a large number of countries that might take similar steps (detaining ships) in accordance with possible UN resolutions following the failure of negotiations aimed at reviving the nuclear agreement?

The professor of international law urged Tehran to take a less costly path, referring to the nuclear negotiations.