Iran Summons Swiss Charge d'Affaires Over Seizure of Sanctioned Oil Shipment

Iran summoned a Swiss diplomat over what appears to be the seizure of an Iranian crude oil shipment by the United States. This was announced by Nasser Kanani, spokesperson for the Islamic Republic's Foreign Ministry, on Monday. An Iranian oil tanker had been anchored in Texas waters for months, and it seems its oil shipment is now in Houston. Kanani's statements confirm that the oil shipment from the tanker is from Iran, which is under U.S. sanctions. The U.S. Treasury Department had previously stated that revenues from Iranian oil smuggling are used to support the actions of the Quds Force, the IRGC's overseas unit, which, along with the entire IRGC, is on the U.S. terrorist list. According to the Associated Press, tensions over the Suez Rajan tanker began in February 2022 after the U.S.-based group 'United Against Nuclear Iran' revealed suspicions that the Suez Rajan tanker was carrying a shipment of oil from Khark Island, Iran's main oil distribution terminal in the Persian Gulf. While Tehran and Washington are negotiating over billions of dollars of Iran's frozen assets in South Korea for the release of five Iranian-Americans imprisoned in Tehran, Kanani's remarks reflect the latest challenge regarding the 'Suez Rajan' tanker, which is part of broader tensions between the U.S. and the Islamic Republic. According to Kanani, the seizure of Iran's oil shipment is counterproductive, as the U.S. government shows interest in direct talks to pave the way for reviving the JCPOA while simultaneously imposing new sanctions and seizing oil shipments. Following the death of Mahsa Amini in 'morality police' custody and the deadly crackdown on widespread protests in various Iranian cities, U.S. officials imposed additional sanctions against the Islamic Republic. The Islamic Republic is trying to circumvent sanctions and continue selling its oil abroad, while the U.S. and its allies have been seizing oil shipments since 2019 after the collapse of the JCPOA. The JCPOA had allowed for the export of Iranian oil, and while the U.S. is not a member of the JCPOA, Iranian oil remains under U.S. sanctions. On Monday, Kanani told reporters that the Islamic Republic's Foreign Ministry summoned the Swiss charge d'affaires in Iran to express its strong protest against the seizure of the oil shipment by the U.S. Switzerland has been the U.S. interests office in Iran since the Islamic Republic took American diplomats hostage in Tehran. The continuation of 'barter economy management' in Iran; the development of Imam Airport is being handed over to the Chinese against oil; oil leakage from the pipeline has polluted a large part of the coasts of Ganaveh; the World Bank: internet restrictions and strikes are crippling the Iranian economy; Bloomberg's claim of an 'unwritten oil agreement' between the Islamic Republic and the U.S.; long lines for gasoline in cities; a parliament representative: we are using strategic reserves; exclusive: the Free Union of Iranian Workers: the violation of workers' rights has reached catastrophic dimensions.