Navy Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri, commander of the Islamic
Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy, warned that any oil company unloading
hundreds of thousands of barrels of seized Iranian oil sitting in a Greek
tanker off the coast of Texas would be held accountable.
“We hereby declare that we would hold any oil company that
sought to unload our crude from the vessel responsible and we also hold
America responsible," Tangsiri said, according to Press TV.
"The era of hit and run is over, and if they hit, they
should expect to be struck back," Tangsiri added.
The
rear admiral's remarks came on the anniversary of Iran's confiscation of a
British-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz in 2019 after Britain had seized an
Iranian oil tanker off Gibraltar.
The confiscation came in response to the maliciousness of
the British, and when our ships went towards that tanker, the escort helicopter
came above the tanker, which we warned that if it does not land, we will shoot
it, which it complied, and after that an escorting warship also approached our
waters, which we also warned, if it does not move away from the area, it will
be targeted, and it also followed the order," he recalled.
"England has a lot of maliciousness and is more malicious than
America."
On July 19, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) revealed that
at least 800,000 barrels of seized Iranian oil remains untouched in US waters.
According to the paper, American firms are reluctant to buy
the Iranian cargo, which is worth US$56 million as they fear potential
reprisals from Iran.
“Companies with any exposure whatsoever in the Persian Gulf
are literally afraid to do it,” said a Houston-based energy executive involved
in the matter, citing worries “that the Iranians would take retribution against
them.”
Another executive at a shipping company involved in
lightering in the Gulf of Mexico also flagged concerns over retaliation. “I
don’t know if anybody’s going to touch it,” the executive said, according to
the INSTAPUNDIT.COM.
More people concerned with the issue have also told the WSJ
that they don’t think the oil will ever be sold off.
The
impasse over the seized oil illustrates the difficulties the US government
faces when it comes to enforcing sanctions against Iran.
All of the fuel is boarded on an oil tanker called Suez Rajan,
which was seized by the US in April. The vessel was seized near southern
Africa and anchored off the coast of Texas in May, while the Greek owner was
charged with sanctions evasion.
A few days the tanker was seized, Iran's Navy seized a
Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in the Sea of Oman, which was carrying
Kuwaiti oil for the second largest energy company in the US.
The oil tanker, named Advantage Sweet, had been involved in
a maritime accident with an Iranian fishing craft, which resulted in the injury
and missing of a number of its crew.
After the collision, the oil tanker attempted to flee
the scene in serious breach of international laws and
regulations, which require provision of medical treatment
and supply of proper and sufficient medicine to seamen in case of sickness
or injury.
The Iranian fishermen managed to issue a distress call long
after recovering from the shock.
Washington has claimed to have hijacked oil tankers carrying
Iranian oil several times, claiming that the ships had been flouting US sanctions.
The US
usually auctions off Iran’s stolen assets, claiming it would use the money to
pay damages to alleged victims of the Islamic Republic's actions.