Iran Demands Payment of $3.6 Million by Maersk

The Danish shipping company Maersk emphasized on Thursday the need for the release of its seized vessel by Iran and all its crew members. However, the Iranian embassy in Denmark stated in a statement that the ship will be released once the issue of outstanding debts is resolved. According to Reuters, the cargo ship 'Maersk Tigris', sailing under the Marshall Islands flag, was seized on April 27 by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian forces fired warning shots to stop the ship, prompting the U.S. Navy to dispatch vessels and aircraft to the area to assess the situation. Maersk has chartered the ship, and according to information released by a shipping management company, the actual owners of the vessel are private investors whose names have not been disclosed. Maersk officials met with Iranian port and shipping authorities on Wednesday, where it was emphasized that the ship's seizure relates to a financial dispute. On Thursday, Maersk stated: 'However, we have not received any written or official evidence that indicates a connection between the ship's seizure and its cargo. We emphasize that the ship and its crew must be released promptly. The crew are not employees of Maersk, and the ship does not belong to our company. Therefore, the Maersk Tigris and its crew are in no way related to this disputed matter.' Maersk, the world's largest container shipping company, added in its statement that after a court ruling in Iran in February, it agreed to pay $163,000 to an Iranian company due to a financial dispute regarding the transport of 10 containers to Dubai dating back to 2005. According to Maersk, the Iranian company has apparently requested an appeal and is seeking a larger compensation. In its statement, Maersk noted: 'Today, April 30, we learned that the appeals court has ordered our company to pay $3.6 million. Given that we are not aware of the details of this court ruling, we cannot comment on the ruling itself or the options available for our response.' Meanwhile, the Iranian embassy in Denmark released a statement saying: the Maersk Tigris belongs to Maersk shipping company, was seized in Iranian territorial waters, and the Danish embassy in Tehran has been informed of the details of this case and its developments. In another part of this statement, dated April 29 but released on Thursday, April 30, it is stated: 'It is natural that after the debt is paid by Maersk shipping company, this ship will be released and allowed to proceed to its final destination. The Iranian government emphasizes that there are no political or security considerations involved in this matter.' This incident has occurred at a sensitive time in Iran-U.S. relations and may impact the continuation and outcome of negotiations between Iran and the six world powers to reach a final agreement regarding its nuclear programs. It coincides with the ongoing war in Yemen and heightened tensions in Iran-Saudi Arabia relations. The seized Maersk Tigris is currently in Bandar Abbas under the control of Iranian security forces. The ship has 24 crew members, most of whom are from Eastern European and Asian countries, and one is a British citizen. Over the past week, in addition to this case, Iranian patrol units pursued another Maersk cargo ship sailing under the U.S. flag for a time, but no warning shots were fired at it. The U.S. Department of Defense stated on Wednesday that these incidents indicate a 'troublesome pattern of behavior' by Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif stated on Wednesday: 'Iran respects international shipping in the waters of the Persian Gulf.'