Iran Attempts to Extort South Korea By Seizing Oil Tanker
This is essentially a state sponsored hijacking and ransom by Iran:
South Korea and Iran agreed Tuesday to work toward a diplomatic solution for this week’s seizure of a Korean oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, a foreign ministry official said.
Fresh tensions appeared to flare up between the two countries after the vessel, MT Hankuk Chemi, was seized Monday by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) reportedly due to allegations of chemical pollution. The operator of the ship denied the allegations.
The vessel with five South Koreans, 11 Myanmarese, two Indonesians and two Vietnamese on board was traveling from Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates. Iranian officials said they remain safe. (………)
The seizure came amid tensions between Seoul and Tehran over Iranian financial assets frozen under U.S. sanctions.
A foreign ministry official confirmed that the two countries and the U.S. have been in talks about using the Iranian money frozen at South Korean banks due to U.S. sanctions to purchase COVID-19 vaccines from a global vaccine procurement program. (……..)
About US$7 billion worth of Iranian assets is locked in South Korean banks after Washington tightened sanctions against Tehran. In April last year, Seoul gained sanctions exemption from Washington for exports of humanitarian goods to Tehran.
Yonhap
You can read more at the link, but this is the same scam North Korea plays. Just like when the international community provides food aid or other humanitarian assistance to North Korea that frees up money for the Kim regime to use on other things besides their own people.
If the frozen Iranian money is allowed to purchase COVID vaccine shots that frees up money for the mullahs to use to fund their proxies and military capabilities.
This is why South Korea isolating itself from US and Japan is dangerous. They look like a weak target.
Now why would South Korea give up its sovereignty and be part of the America First strategy? This whole problem started due to America forcing sanctions on Iran and freezing funds that rightfully belongs to Iran, which is payment for oil that Korea bought. It’s America that’s the problem (again). When is the US going to pack up and leave again? I just can’t wait. Go fight your wars elsewhere and take your little General Tojo and his fax machine with you.
Apparently poorly-mixed metaphors are a specialty of the house in the CCP’s sad little troll webinars (where they make the studrnts pay the training costs up ftont). And, it seems, they forget that it’s Democrats who start US involvement in East-Asian wars.
And we are a few days short of the Party of Jefferson Davis and George Wallace controlling the White House, the Congress, and the US Military…
Well, one needs to be careful about what one wishes, Beijing boy… the bew Ambassador will lkkely be someone who insults the norks, Winnie, and Moon every time they ask for chop suey and ketchup.