Iran warns US of 'reciprocal action' if ships seized

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News Websites
15 Feb 2024 16:19

Iran's Vice President for Legal Affairs, Mohammad Dehqan, warns of reciprocal action if the US seizes Iranian ships.

An undated image of Iran’s Vice President for Legal Affairs, Mohammad Dehqan during a conference. (IRNA)

Mohammad Dehqan, Iran’s vice president for legal affairs, asserted that if any of Iran's vessels were to be unlawfully seized, Tehran would respond in kind. This comes as the United States acknowledged the confiscation of Iranian oil.

Speaking to the ISNA news agency, on Thursday, Dehqan stated that the "legal path is not closed" following Washington's confiscation of Iranian crude however, "If an Iranian ship is seized, we will take reciprocal action."

Dehqan mentioned that he couldn't confirm whether US authorities had seized an Iranian vessel recently, suggesting that comments on such news should come from the Oil Ministry and related companies, emphasizing that "This is because sometimes they (the Americans) seize a ship and mistakenly regard it as ours."

Moreover, it was reported that the United States has been conducting "sanctions-enforcement operations," seizing foreign vessels transporting Iranian oil worldwide in recent years.

Despite these challenges, Iranian crude oil exports saw a significant growth of approximately 50% in 2023, reaching a five-year high of about 1.29 million barrels per day.

Iran has advanced military capabilities for war at distance: IRGC

Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Commander Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami revealed on Wednesday that Iran can wage war from a distance and engage in military operations.

IRNA news quoted the general, explaining during the National Conference of High-Speed Vessels at the Persian Gulf University, that war from a distance is "a war of equipment and technologies."

He divulged that Iran has been successful in securing such technology and equipment and detailed that Iran's missiles and boats are equipped with artificial intelligence technology that operates with tremendous accuracy.

He applauded the nation's development in numerous areas like military and deterrence forces and expressed that "Today, we can move from Bushehr to the American coasts, which is a sign of the power of the Islamic Republic of Iran."