E-Paper
‘Return of pirates’: Tehran slams US' seizure of vessels carrying Iranian oil in Indian Ocean
Iran has reportedly extended an offer proposing easing its grip on the Strait of Hormuz if the US ends its blockade on the key trade waterway.
Iran on Monday (local time) condemned what it called “outright legalization of piracy and armed robbery” by the United States, referring to the recent seizures of sanctioned vessels carrying Iranian oil by the US forces in the Indian Ocean.
Referring to the US Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Ferris Pirro's days-old post regarding the US forces interdicted the “dark fleet vessel” M/T Majestic on Thursday last week, Iran's foreign ministry official Esmaeil Baqaei equated the move to the “return of the pirates”.
“This is the outright legalization of piracy and armed robbery on the high seas,” Baqaei, who is the head of Center for Public Diplomacy of Iran, wrote in a post on X.
"Welcome to the return of the pirates — only now, they operate with government-issued warrants, sail under official flags, and call their plunder “law enforcement,” he added.
Baqaei called for strict action against the United States for what he described as “brazenly lawless behaviour” which goes against international law.
Track live updates of US-Iran conflict here
“The United States must be held fully accountable for this brazenly lawless behavior, which strikes at the heart of international law & international free trade, and threatens the basic principles of maritime security,” he wrote.
US seizes two tankers carrying Iranian oil in Indian ocean
Iran's strongly-worded criticism comes after Pentagon said on Thursday, April 23, that the US forces stopped and boarded a sanctioned ship, M/T Majestic, which was carrying Iranian oil in the Indian ocean.
Before that, another such vessel, M/T Tifani, was also seized by US forces last week after a seizure warrant was issued by Pirro's office.
Both the vessels, according to Pirro's post on X, were carrying 1.9 million barrels of Iranian oil each.
In the post made last week, Pirro wrote, “We will continue to relentlessly investigate, track, and pursue these cases, using every lawful authority to hold sanctioned actors and those who support terrorism accountable, and to deny them of any ability to profit from illicit maritime activity.”
Also read: If US, Iran fail to reach a 'peace' deal, what comes next? Here's what Marco Rubio said
“My office has executed some of the nation’s most complex seizure warrants—including those used to stop, board, and seize the M/Ts Skipper, Bella 1, and Veronica—working with national security partners to disrupt illicit oil networks and protect American interests,” she added.
Iran's proposal to the US
Iran's fresh criticism of the United States comes after both the parties are struggling to reach a middle ground for a fresh round of talks to discuss a sustainable plan to end the war, which crossed the two-month mark on Tuesday, April 28.
Iran has extended an offer proposing easing its grip on the Strait of Hormuz if the US ends its blockade on the key trade waterway and ends the war, news agency AP reported citing two regional officials.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday that Trump convened national security officials to discuss the proposal and that he will address the matter “very soon”. However, she also highlighted that Trump's “red lines with respect to Iran have been made very, very clear”.
Meanwhile, a US official said that Trump is unhappy with Iran's latest proposal, reported Reuters.
Iran's foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi met with Russian President Putin and hailed the ties between Tehran and Moscow.
Sharing pictures from the meet, Araghchi wrote on X, “Pleased to engage with Russia at the highest level as the region is in major flux. Recent events have evidenced the depth and strength of our strategic partnership. As our relationship continues to grow, we are grateful for solidarity and welcome Russia's support for diplomacy.”
