Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Iran summons Swiss envoy over US oil seizure

Iran summons Swiss envoy over US oil seizure

Tehran has demanded the immediate release of the Pegas, an Iranian-flagged tanker being held in Greek waters.

Iran’s foreign ministry has reportedly summoned the envoy of Switzerland, which represents Washington’s interests in Tehran, to protest against the American seizure of Iranian oil from a Russian-operated ship in Greek waters.

The ministry also called for the immediate release of the ship and its cargo, the IRNA state news agency reported on Friday.

“The Islamic Republic expressed its deep concern over the US government’s continued violation of international laws and international maritime conventions,” IRNA and other media outlets quoted the foreign ministry as saying.

The Swiss envoy told Iranian officials he would convey Tehran’s message to Washington, IRNA reported. The developments came after the cargo ship was seized on Wednesday.

The news agency quoted Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization as saying the tanker – named the Pegas – had sought refuge along the Greek coast after experiencing technical problems and poor weather, adding the confiscation of its cargo was “a clear example of piracy”.

Separately on Wednesday, the US imposed sanctions on what it described as a Russian-backed oil smuggling and money laundering network for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).




US sanctions


The Iranian-flagged Pegas was among five vessels designated by Washington on February 22 – two days before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – for sanctions against Promsvyazbank, a bank viewed as critical to Russia’s defence sector.

The vessel’s Russian owner Transmorflot was subsequently designated on May 8. The tanker, renamed Lana on March 1 and flying the Iranian flag since May 1, has remained near Greek waters since then. It was previously Russian flagged.

It was unclear whether the ship’s cargo was impounded because it was Iranian oil or because of the sanctions on the tanker over its Russian nexus. Iran and Russia face separate US sanctions.

A spokesperson for the US Department of Justice declined to comment on the oil seizure but three sources familiar with the matter told the Reuters news agency on Thursday that Washington plans to send the cargo on board the Pegas to the US on another vessel.

The row over the tanker has taken place against the backdrop of tense efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran, the US and several other world powers.

On Wednesday, US President Joe Biden’s special envoy for Iran acknowledged that prospects of restoring the agreement are “tenuous at best” amid as of yet unmet demands from Tehran for Washington to remove the IRGC from its list of “foreign terrorist organisations”.

The 2015 deal saw sanctions lifted on Iran in return for curbs on the country’s nuclear programme. Former US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the accord in 2018.



Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
×