American Lawmakers Call for Resolution on Oil Cargo from Seized Iranian Tanker

American lawmakers from both the Democratic and Republican parties have urged President Joe Biden and U.S. government officials to resolve the months-long delay in unloading oil cargo from an Iranian tanker seized in Texas waters. The vessel 'Suez Rajan' has been anchored near Galveston, 80 kilometers from Houston, since May 30, and shipping companies are concerned that unloading its cargo may lead oil customers to bypass their ships in future voyages. The U.S. seized this tanker as part of the intensified sanctions enforcement phase. The delay in unloading is partly due to fears of retaliatory actions from the Islamic Republic. A senior commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated last month that Iran would retaliate against any oil company that unloads Iranian oil from the seized tanker. Republican Senator Joni Ernst, Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, and several other lawmakers in the Senate and House of Representatives wrote in a letter to Mr. Biden and his senior officials that if American citizens and companies continually live in fear of Iranian retaliation, the imposition of oil sanctions would be meaningless. According to Reuters, American lawmakers wrote in this letter: 'The government must clarify that Iran and foreign terrorist organizations cannot prevent our lawful operations.' They requested the U.S. government to provide an update on the progress of unloading the seized oil from the 'Suez Rajan.' This comes as Washington and Tehran seek an agreement for the release of five detained American citizens in exchange for the release of $6 billion of Iran's frozen assets in South Korea. U.S. lawmakers estimated the value of the oil on this 800,000-barrel tanker at $55 million. Proceeds from the sale of the seized Iranian oil by the U.S. will contribute to a fund supporting 'victims of state-sponsored terrorism,' which compensates victims of terrorist attacks. The United States also sold two million barrels of Iranian oil in 2021 after seizing a tanker off the coast of the United Arab Emirates and sold another 507,000 barrels in 2022. Western naval forces have warned commercial ships to stay away from Iranian territorial waters, while the IRGC has threatened retaliation if the Iranian tanker is unloaded. Indonesia has also seized a suspected Iranian tanker.