Iran releases 19 of 20 sailors from chemical tanker Hankhuk Chemicals

Almost a month after the arrest of the South Korean chemical tanker Hankhuk Chemi by Iranian IRGCs (Revolutionary Guards) in the Strait of Hormuz, diplomatic negotiations allowed the release of 19 of the crew's 20 sailors. Only the commander, of South Korean nationality, is still detained by the Iranian authorities.

For the record, the chemical tanker was boarded on January 4 with 20,000 tonnes of petroleum products on board. He had, at that time, been accused of pollution by the Iranian authorities. In the background of this affair, more than a history of pollution, there is undoubtedly the question around 7 billion dollars of funds currently frozen in Korea.

They would correspond to the payment owed to Iran for petroleum products purchased by Korea before the return of the 2018 American sanctions. These funds are blocked also due to the application of sanctions which have largely isolated Iran for two years.

The South Korean Foreign Ministry said negotiations were continuing and hoped that relations of trust could be quickly restored between Seoul and Tehran, including a solution for the release of these funds.