By Arsalan Shahla
Jun 4, 2022 (Bloomberg) –Iran’s supreme leader said his country’s seizure of two Greek oil tankers in Persian Gulf waters last month was a direct response to the US and Greece’s “robbery” of Iranian crude.
“Our oil was stolen off the Greek coasts,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a televised speech on Saturday. “We took back what was stolen from us. Who’s the thief?”
Iranian authorities had previously said the ships, carrying about 1 million barrels of oil each, were detained over committing undisclosed “violations”.
The move came two days after Greek authorities, in coordination with US counterparts, stopped an Iranian-flagged tanker and confiscated its cargo on May 25.
© 2022 Bloomberg L.P.
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The cost of shipping oil in the largest tankers hit record highs this week following the biggest wave of attacks on shipping since the U.S.-Iran war began in late February.
Vessel transits via the Strait of Hormuz fell on Wednesday to seven from 12 the previous day, preliminary ship-tracking data showed on Thursday, with levels also below the 10-day average of 14.
Four commodity vessels transited the key waterway of the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, down from nine a day earlier and well below the 10-day average tally of about 15, preliminary shipping data showed.
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