TEHRAN, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) — A senior Iranian shipping official has said the country will pursue in international courts the U.S. attack on and seizure of one of its container ships, which took place in April during the ceasefire between Tehran and Washington, the official news agency IRNA reported Saturday.
Mohammad-Reza Modarres Khiabani, CEO of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines, made the remarks at a meeting in Tehran while describing as a “war crime” the U.S. forces’ boarding and seizure of the Iranian-flagged vessel Touska off the coast of Iran’s southeastern Chabahar port in the Gulf of Oman on April 19, said the report.
He said the ship was carrying medicines related to the Iranian Red Crescent Society and dialysis patients, noting that attacking a commercial ship during the ceasefire constitutes a “war crime and violation of the truce.”
He also said that the imposition of any form of naval blockade violated international law and constituted a “hostile” act, alleging that the U.S. Navy struck Touska’s engine room and took 28 crew members hostage.
On Feb. 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and U.S. bases and assets in the region, and tightened its grip on the Strait of Hormuz. The United States has also imposed a naval blockade against the country.
A ceasefire was achieved between the warring parties on April 8. On June 18, Iran and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on ending the war in the region on all fronts.
Under the MoU, the two countries were scheduled to hold negotiations within 60 days, ending on Aug. 17, to reach a final agreement. However, the two sides failed to make sufficient progress toward a deal as tensions continued to escalate. ■