Iran says seized South Korean crew not being held as hostages
The seizure by Iran of a South Korean tanker, supposedly for environmental reasons, is thought to be testing the waters ahead of Joe Biden’s US presidency
05 January 2021 - 13:51
Seoul — Iran has denied that it is using a South Korean ship and its crew as hostages, a day after it seized the tanker in the Gulf while pressing a demand for Seoul to release $7bn in funds frozen under US sanctions.
The seizure of the MT Hankuk Chemi and its 20-member crew near the strategic Strait of Hormuz has been seen as an attempt by Tehran to assert its demands, just two weeks before president-elect Joe Biden takes office in the US...
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