Iran official: No Iranian ships or fuel cargoes have been seized: IRNA

No Iranian ships or gasoline cargoes have been seized, an unnamed official told Iran’s state news agency on Friday, following reports that four Iranian fuel cargoes had been transferred to other ships for transport to U.S. waters.

“Iran, as it has repeatedly stated, will not tolerate any such hostile actions … and has not allowed any country to take such measures,” the unnamed official told IRNA.

Four tankers carrying Iranian fuel cargoes covered by a U.S. warrant for seizure are sailing to the United States after talks between U.S. authorities and the ship owners, a U.S. government source and a shipping source said on Thursday.

A U.S. judge issued a warrant to seize Iranian gasoline cargoes on four tankers in July after U.S prosecutors filed a lawsuit. The warrant for seizure only covered the cargoes, not the vessels.

The owners of the four vessels agreed to have the fuel transferred to other vessels so it could be shipped to the United States, a U.S. government source said on Thursday. The warrant only covered the cargoes, not the vessels.