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On January 4th, Iran announced that it had seized a South Korea-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, due to environmental pollution.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) naval authority earlier said on its website that an “interaction” between Iranian authorities and a merchant vessel in the Strait of Hormuz led the ship to alter its course and proceed into Iranian waters.
Maritime security firm Dryad Global said on its website that chemical tanker HANKUK CHEMI has “likely been detained by Iranian forces” in the Strait of Hormuz while inbound to Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates.
South Korean flagged Chemical Tanker HANKUK CHEMI (IMO: 9232369) heading for Fujairah seized in the Straits of Hormuz. #PersianGulf @GlobalDryadhttps://t.co/kc0CHMQfOZ
— Vessel Protect (@vesselprotect) January 4, 2021
Two days before the seizure, Tehran had said a South Korean diplomat was due to travel there to negotiate over billions of dollars in its assets now frozen in Seoul.
“Yesterday [January 2nd], we had a meeting with First Vice President Es’haq Jahangiri about our country’s blocked money in South Korea, and suggestions were made to be presented to South Korea on how to barter our money in this country with a variety of goods including COVID-19 vaccine,” Tanhaei told ILNA.
The head of the Iran-South Korea Chamber of Commerce referred to an upcoming meeting between the representatives of the two countries on the matter and said: “In yesterday’s meeting, we determined the type of commodities that can be bartered, and now we should wait and see that how much the Koreans are willing to cooperate for bartering the commodities specified in our list.”
According to the official, raw materials, medicine, petrochemicals, auto parts, home appliances, and related parts are among the prioritized items on the list for bartering.
He put the amount of the money blocked in South Korea at about $8 billion to $8.5 billion, saying: “We will consider a sum for the import of each commodity; however, the imports ultimately depend on how much the Koreans are going to cooperate in this regard.”
On January 4th, Iran said it was prepared and all set to begin 20% uranium enrichment at the Fordo nuclear site.
Government spokesman Ali Rabiei announced the move.
Speaking to IRNA, Rabiei said that Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani has issued the order to implement the law of strategic measure passed by Majlis to remove the sanctions in the past few days.
All the necessary measures, such as informing the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), have been taken, said Rabiei.
He added that the government’s stance toward this law has already been announced; stressing that the government is bound to implement the law.
The nuclear law, officially called “Strategic Action to Lift Sanctions and Protect Nation’s Rights,” outlines a step-by-step strategy for Iran to allegedly force the West into reconsidering its sanctions policy against Iran by increasing nuclear activities.
It stipulates that the Iranian government should take certain nuclear measures such as raising the level of uranium enrichment to 20% and suspending the voluntary implementation of the Additional Protocol to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in few months if the Western parties failed to honor their obligations under the JCPOA.
This move was expected, as on January 1st, Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), said that Iran will raise the level of uranium enrichment up to 20 percent “as soon as possible.”
“We have sent a letter to the representative of the Islamic Republic to the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna to submit it to the Agency. This letter was submitted to the Agency on Friday, informing it that we want to start 20% enrichment in accordance with the parliament law,” Salehi said in a televised interview.
“God willing, we will start enriching [uranium] up to 20% soon. The president should issue an order. Of course, the president has already issued a preliminary order according to which we sent a letter to the Agency and made the announcement. We are just like a soldier having his hand on the trigger, waiting for the commander to issue an order to open fire. We are ready to do this and God willing, we will do it as soon as possible,” added Salehi, a nuclear physicist.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed that it has received a letter from Iran declaring the country’s intention to start enriching uranium up to 20%.
“Iran has informed the Agency that in order to comply with a legal act recently passed by the country’s parliament, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran intends to produce low-enriched uranium (LEU) up to 20 percent at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant,” the IAEA statement has said in a statement.
January 3rd was the one year anniversary of the assassination of Brigadier General Qassem Soleimani by a US drone strike, and a response by Iran is expected at any time, since several officials have said that there is no “expiration date.”
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Obviously, you’re not a golfer.
Any CIA operatives aboard?
Yes, K–pop
Gay-pop
But I wonder if 1 ship is enough to trade it with, should seize more, or just close the strait for all SK ships
Let me summarize (and read in between the lines) to verify that I understand, ‘the U.S. forced S. Korea to freeze Iranian assets under threat of reciprocal fines and sanctions. Iran got tired of waiting for S. Korea to give them payment for fuel or and other goods delivered to S. Korea so they finally seized a cargo ship to force the issue’.
How long S. Korea has been keeping Iran’s $8B?
Now I cannot wait to see how this is going to be misreported on FOX and the FDD fed MSM. It will be portrayed as an act of aggression, piracy, aggression, terrorism, evidence that Iran must be blotted out from the face of the earth and never appeased.
One tanker will hardly cover the $8B owed but it may be intended to pressure SK
Consider it a downpayment.
It is just a message that if puppet Korea does not get its act together its assets are in danger. No more crappy Hyundai and Kia trash and Samsung radiation boxes will be passing through the Persian Gulf.
There has to be a price for law breaking. Once the price of obeying the empire is more then disobeying guess what will happen? Its getting close to that now for SK with China sanctions against them.
The empire is naked and broke and is largely irrelevant now as power has shifted to Asia with China now calling the shots.
I love the way this story (from a German website) reports it. In May, the U.S. stops issuing waivers, S. Korea then freezes $8B of cash payment to Iran for oil they delivered. Iran ‘threatens’ legal action and S. Korea makes a formal diplomatic complaint because there is ‘nothing they can do about it’. Oh and they did give Iran $500,000 of medical aid which is 1 / 16,0000th of what they already owe Iran. So what’s Iran complaining about?
South Korea responds angrily to Iran threats over frozen assets
One wonders if they can “do something about it” now. There’s always a lever if one looks in the right place …
Collect more SK ships as downpayments. It’s fair and legal.
You should include the back and forth about the carriers and bombers kabuki theater that’s going on:
– The US sends nuclear bombers to threaten Iran – Iran spikes enrichment to 20% – The US tries to move the Nimitz out of the Persian Gulf – Iran makes a loud noise threatening revenge – The US halts the Nimitz redeployment and makes more threats – Iran seizes the South Korean tanker
… basically Iran giving the middle finger to the US every step of the way.
Frankly, as the moron Trump heads towards jail time, there is a good reason the US despite its attempted bullying and bombast has not attacked Iran like other smaller and defenceless nations in the Muslim world. There is a good reason for US and Zionist reluctance.
Iran is a large nuclear capable break out state sitting on top the global geo-strategic pyramid,has over half a million men and women in uniform; it is the largest military force in the Middle East, and the thirteenth most powerful battle tested military in the world.
It’s capability to wage a defensive asymmetrical war in its own immense mountain terrain and neighboring allied states is daunting for any invader. Its immense arsenal of increasingly sophisticated precision missiles are the one thing that allows it to give pause to its enemies. But what is does have in great numbers, is what it views as the crown jewel, is their ballistic-missile force.” Iran’s arsenal of missiles is “very good, and they’re getting better,” even the US military analysis confirms. Tehran has shared many of its rockets and missiles—via the Quds Force—with proxy forces in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen. “It’s a problem Biden’s going to have to face,” and the reason why over ten ex-US Defence Secretaries in an open letter have warned the desperate Trump, not a initiate a conflict that the US is bound to lose in its worst potentially sapping war.
Another dimension to add is that even if the USA was able to wreak massive destruction on Iran, it will never be able to occupy it like Iraq.
It would be destruction, without occupation and therefore, useless.
Yet another dimension is that even if Iran were destroyed, it is a cornerstone of the geopolitical order: If that cornerstone is removed, the entire global order will collapse in favor of China.
Iran is pandora’s box: Break pandoras box and ancient demons will emerge …
Wounded animals sometimes howl and bark before dying. US actions are similar, but that would be suicidal and even the most insane warmongers at the Pentagon will have to think hard.
Trump will never see jail time. The implication of allowing it is too much for the ruling elites as it means all past Presidents are no longer protected.
Until rivers of blood of anglo-saxon paedophile mercenaries will be spilled,israhell ERASED from the face of Earth and ALL (they are few) anglo-saxon countries OCCUPIED and Ruled(for a long time) by The Free NATIONS of Earth we ALL PEOPLE of Earth are in GREAT DANGER OF EXTINCTION!!!!!
Well any fascist capitalist anglo-saxon SCUM will understand that his profits belongs only to him and the work to the slave! But the slaves under the anglo-jewish feudalist-capitalism gets their fair share and this is between 5 to maxxxxxx 20 % of the clean profit heshe does for the capitalist-fascist -feudalist boss! Demokracy at work! Slavery ohhhh sorry business as usual ! Ha ha ha but heyyyy,you are all(anglo-saxon dumb slaves) living democracacy despite u never heard about Plato neverless u never heard or read The Republic… don’t worry keep enslaving,at the end of the day Freedom is not for everyone….
Iran brother STRONK! south Korea just….kimchi fart….hahahaha fat Amerikan mamtu slave….hahahhaha
OT wonderful news Assange will not be extradited: https://www.rt.com/news/511456-assange-extradition-hearing-verdict-announced/
still to early, to celebrate…
That will please Biden, not having to deal with truth and facts.
The Brits found Assange had no right to publish, they are only letting him go as they believe he will commit suicide in an American jail.
A cop out, and Assange is broken, and serves as a warning to the next journalist that publishes the truth. Delighted for Assange, he should never have been charged at all, but they wouldn’t let him go unless they were sure they have broken the man.
It isn’t over yet,those gangsters in the US will appeal and if its anything to do with the clown running my Country he would be sent to the US.
Sadly, I believe Assange is a broken man, I doubt he’ll ever speak again about the atrocities of the Western world.
Not all westerners are MAGGOTS,only anglo-saxons and jews!!!!
I was trying to be polite to my neighbours, as not all of them are maggots neither.
This is what i keep saying about this anglo genocidals…this one is Oliver Cromwell !!!!! Ha ha ha ha this is what i KEEP SAYING about this PAEDOPHILE SCUM RACE!!! THEY ARE ALL SICK!
Yeah will be killed in the Nest of Satan namely uk….
So SK STOLE Iranian money on the orders of their USA masters so now Iran returns the favor. Good work Iran!
Great move Iran,the South Koreans are a Bitch of the US,thats why they thought they could steal money and get away with it.
S K has no choice, but comply with US demands to freeze Iran’s assets. The country is in debt to The City of London, and will experience difficulties in future financial actions in matters of Government financing. US Government has shown it will not hesitate to treat long time NATO allies the same way it treats enemies. Repeatedly. If an ally so much as complains about the losses it’s sustaining in standing by it’s ally, no compensation is offered, instead sanctions, tariffs, threats, bullying, insanely outrageous demands are made. Heavy sanctions to EU countries that balked at US demands to end all business with Iran when Trump killed off JCPOA. Punished for their failure to immediately comply with US demands. Germany is given special attention for refusing to shut down Nordstream II. US demands are batshit crazy to kill the project as near to completion as it is. The economic losses in forfeiting the investment alone is enormous, breaking a contract with it’s long time supplier of low cost, high quality gas with proven reliable service. To buy low quality, high cost gas with unreliable delivery. Who would do that ? What kind of ally would make such stupid ass demands ? Yet, Germany still supports many of US baseless criminal actions. South Korea is fucked. It’s instantly comply, or else.
Never forget that South Korea is a fake state occupied by thousands of US troops. It just jumps to the masters commands and has no control over any aspects of its policies. It is like occupied puppets Japan and Germany, just an inferior version.
Absolutely. The Koreans with all the balls are in North Korea.
The gelded eunuchs remained in SK as comfort women for US troops.
The Korean War filtered the chaff from the wheat.
US lost the Korean war despite bringing in dozens of puppet troops under UN aegis. The idiot MacArthur wanted to attack China with nuclear weapons, but even a Zionist shill like Trump overruled and fired him. Today, DPRK can walk into Seoul in a few hours and nuke both the puppet regime in Seoul and Japan and also capable of hitting Washington DC. The US barked for years and could not do anything, here is lesson for Iran to test a nuke.
Wrong they can borrow from China, the city of London is broke
The whole World is nothing but vassal of this Genocidal anglo-jewish decadent capitalist-fascist “empire” with legs made out of shit,death,scams,wars, capitalist profits & slavery, capitalist prostitution of many kinds etc
Love them or hate them.. Iranian master strategist. See how they use the word.. “Environmental pollution” to seize Sk slaves… They did same to UK ships when their vessel were seized by uk admistered Gibraltar.. The did not call it tit for tat.. But used the word “oil smuggling” as a reason to detain Uk vessels. Suddenly theirs was released.. Despite pressure from pompeo.. Uk refused and released iranians. A month later theirs were allowed to go. I expect more sk ship to be seized in coming days for “noise polution”.. Etc. Even if its not worth 8.5b…the longer they hold the vessel the more sk will be counting their loses. The more the pressure will be on them to return the stolen money with full intrest!
I suspect S Korea is upset they did not appoint titz or jens minister of lubricants; with their expert insights they would have provided free lube to the Koreans so they could better enjoy their encounters with bacon
The countdown to an open conflict between us and Iran has started, get ready.
Wahhh wahhh cry some more.
There will be no war, as that will be yours and my death as well.
Time to grow the fuck up and start acting like adults!! Its not too late to renounce the miltarist path.
Also answer me this, wtf can iran do with 20% enriched uranium?
Answer me honestly, and then look at what your leadership has been doing, totally.misleading the globe.
This lunacy must stop immediatly! Before you get us all killed!
As I have written before Mike, the distance between 20% to 90% is a short one and we won’t take that risk. It has nothing t do with what I think or say, our policy is to prevent a nuclear bomb from Iran at all cost. The war is coming, sadly, the mullahs have made their choice. Now it’s time for us to make our move.
Iran can launch barrage of 10 ballistic missile every day during one month…and I have doubts if Israeli Tel Aviv and Haifa population can resist one month hided in a shelter…
We will find out soon.
We will find out that Israel and USA never have attacked Iran soil using military force…both use terrorist&mafia style…
We found out in 2006.
Based on the 2006 war they cannot handle two or three missiles a month.
Not with Covid19.
Now would be the best time to strike.
Pack the population of israel into bunkers where the PPE and covid19 treatment will run out.
And you know how how jews like to cough and splutter over each other. Fun times!
You will take that risk because the distance between 20% and 90% is longer than the distance between a thousand Iranian missiles and Tel Aviv.
Ran does not need nukes to erase israel.
100% wanker though.
You again, death threats again, what a joke.
He is like a ADD kid who just seeks attention. It also confirms the brain damage non-stop wanking does.
True.
lol, at him.
He’s an jewish INFECTION like ALL of this SCUM race…
You’re more than half a century late.
The countdown started in 1948.
Go for it arsehole i can’t wait.
LOL, wanker.
Get ready son of Satan(Baal by ur “language”) for your dirty race REMOVAL ! AMEN!
Good news folks!!! The anglo-saxonkhazarian decadent empire started to “vaccinate” their slaves with the new Cabal POISON! This mean the maggotscumpaedophile genocidal races from now on will keep diminish their numbers!!!! Good news is that the New Cabal Poison called “jab”(wow sic ) will be administered to the MAGGOTS in endless doses for the endless “strains” of the capitalist-fascist created virus (a beauty with AIDS inserted protein spikes ) !!! :) Anyone who is not part of this 2 genocidal races PLEASE DON’T TAKE THE CABAL’S POISON! LONG LIFE FREE HUMANITY without anglo-saxonjew races ,the HATERS of Humanity! Amen
These so-called vaccines are DNA altering and intended to totally subjugate a dumbed down idiotic population.
Iran believe in revenge. No one should be surprised. Remember, England ceased an Iranian ship from its colony in Spain at the orders of Trump. Iran returned the favor by doing the same in Hormuz Straight. England promptly puts its tail between its legs, and released its Persian booty, and Iran reciprocating.
The Korean haven’t paid Iran yet because of US…pay up and they get their oil, Iran said that last year.
20% is not much it is just to remind Biden that he can’t follow Trump son in law plan.
more than one way to skin a cat.