Impounding Iran ships violates law

The Chairman of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL), Mohammad Dajmar, says the impounding of three Iranian vessels is a violation of international law.

Three Iranian vessels, named Tochal, Sahand and Sabalan, have reportedly been impounded in Singapore by order of a French bank, Dajmar said.

“It was not because of debt,” Dajmar said.

“We had a loan [on the vessels] and the [bank] changed it from a loan to a due [payment] because of sanctions. In other words, they committed a violation. Because the loan contract was signed before the sanctions,” the chairman said.

“We are trying to prevent the auctioning [of these vessels],” said Dajmar, and added, “We are negotiating to pay them [the bank] ourselves and resolve the issue.”

Amid a standoff fueled by Western allegations that Tehran is following a military nuclear program, the UN Security Council imposed a fourth round of sanctions against Iran’s financial and military sectors.

Shortly afterwards, Washington and its allies imposed unilateral sanctions against Iran’s financial and energy sectors.

Iran has repeatedly rejected US-led allegations, maintaining its nuclear program is purely aimed at civilian purposes, including medical research and meeting the ever-increasing energy demands at home.