Iran has strongly denounced the seizure of the merchant vessel “Tuska” by the United States in the Gulf of Oman, close to the Iranian coastline, according to a statement from the Iranian Foreign Ministry. Tehran alleges this action constitutes a breach of the recently brokered ceasefire between the two nations.
The Ministry’s statement highlighted that the ship’s detention on April 20 has caused considerable distress among the crew members and their families. Furthermore, it asserts that the action contravenes the principles of the United Nations Charter and established international legal norms, according to information today.
In response, Iran has appealed to the UN Secretary-General, member states of the UN Security Council, and the International Maritime Organization to address this critical issue. The Islamic Republic has urged these international bodies to issue the strongest possible condemnation of the incident.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry underscored the potential adverse repercussions of the seizure, stressing the imperative for the immediate release of the vessel, its crew, and their relatives.
This incident occurs amidst a period of heightened regional tension. Following a lack of substantial progress in nuclear negotiations between the United States and Iran, the situation escalated significantly on February 28, when the United States and Israel reportedly initiated military airstrikes against Iranian targets.
In retaliation, Iran subsequently launched its own missile and drone strikes targeting Israeli and American installations within the region. A two-week ceasefire accord was then facilitated by Pakistan on April 7, aiming to de-escalate the conflict.
However, subsequent discussions between Washington and Tehran held in Islamabad on April 11 failed to yield any consensus, indicating ongoing diplomatic impasses.