Iran’s Seizure of Oil Tankers Responds to ‘Robbery,’ Leader Says

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.

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