Dubai
Iran has agreed to allow the crew members of a South Korean ship it seized for alleged environmental pollution to leave the country, Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said on Tuesday.
“Following a request by the South Korean government…, the crew of the Korean ship, which was detained on charges of causing environmental pollution in the Persian Gulf, have received permission to leave the country in a humanitarian move by Iran,” Khatibzadeh told state media. The legal case against the vessel and its captain continues, he said.
Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi spoke by telephone with his South Korean counterpart Choi Jong-kun on the release of the crew of 19 and the issue of releasing $7 billion in Iranian funds frozen in South Korea because of U.S. sanctions. “The two sides…shared the view that the release of the sailors was an important first step to restore trust between the two countries and they will work to resolve the issue of frozen Iranian assets in South Korean banks,” South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.—Reuters
