The Greek shipowner of the St. Nikolas oil tanker seized by Iran on Thursday said it is seeking any help from the US government in regaining control of its vessel in a US court filing, Reuters reports.
“While defendants hope to regain control over the vessel, their top priority is the safe return of its crew,” a lawyer for the Athens-based shipping company Empire Navigation Inc said in a filing to the US District Court for the District of Columbia on Thursday.
“The US government…is well aware of this situation and Defendants appreciate whatever assistance the US government can provide,” said the attorney.
The Pentagon said Iranian forces unlawfully boarded the St. Nikolas in the Gulf of Oman and forced it to change course toward Iranian territorial waters.
Empire Navigation acknowledged losing contact with the vessel, which has a crew of eighteen Filipinos and one Greek national.
In the previous days in Basrah, Iraq, the vessel had loaded a cargo of about 145,000 mts of crude oil destined for Aliaga (Turkey) via the Suez Canal. The charterer of the vessel is Tupras.
Empire Navigation said in a statement that the manager of the vessel “has notified the pertinent authorities from the first moment and is in close and constant cooperation with them as well as with the crew members’ next of kin.”
White House condemns seizure of Greek tanker by Iran
The White House condemned the seizure. James S. Brady, the White House spokesman, called for the immediate release of the tanker and its crew.
“We condemn this apparent seizure,” Brady said. “The Iranian government should immediately release the ship and its crew. These provocative and unacceptable actions need to stop.”
“We’ll continue to work with our allies and partners to deter and confront the full range of Iran’s concerning and destabilizing behavior in close coordination, of course, with the international community,” Brady stated.
The Greek tanker has been at the center of tensions between Tehran and Washington, which has long imposed sanctions on Iranian oil over its nuclear program.
The US Department of Justice had seized the tanker at sea last April when it was carrying Iranian oil and was called the Suez Rajan.
US authorities brought the tanker to the US Gulf Coast, and it unloaded the oil after months of delays. The tanker was then renamed the St. Nikolas, and Empire Navigation continued to operate it under the new name.
The seizure of the Greek tanker was in retaliation for the confiscation last year by the United States, Iranian state media reported, a move likely to stoke regional tensions, according to Reuters.
Related: US and UK Launch Strikes Against Houthi Rebels in Yemen
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
