Iran detains US ship on legal complaint: IRGC

An informed source with the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed a US cargo ship navigating under the Marshall Islands flag in the Persian Gulf was detained and escorted to Bandar Abbas port.

The source told IRNA that the move came as the US vessel was subject of a legal dispute with Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization.

Saying that there are 34 staff on the ship who are mostly Europeans, the IRGC source rejected any link between the vessel’s seizure to political or military issues.

After a court ruled on detaining the ship based on the Ports and Maritme Organization’s complaint, he added, IRGC seized it on the maritime authority’s demand.

US Department of Defense had announced earlier that a cargo ship operated by the Maersk company was detained by Iran.