Iran released on Friday a South Korean ship and its captain detained since January after South Korea promised to try to secure the release of Iranian funds frozen in South Korean banks under U.S. sanctions, a South Korean official said.
The Iranian foreign ministry said the chemical tanker, HANKUK CHEMI, was released after an investigation into environmental pollution, and at the request of the South Korean government and its owner, state news agency IRNA reported. The seizure of the tanker in the Strait of Hormuz off Oman in January had triggered a diplomatic dispute after Iran demanded that South Korea release $7 billion in funds frozen in South Korean banks under U.S. sanctions. The IRNA report made no mention of the frozen funds, but other Iranian media quoted an unnamed Iranian official as saying Korean officials had given assurances that "they are trying to solve the problem and to strengthen ties." The South Korean ministry said in a statement the ship had left Iran after completing administrative procedures. It made no mention of the demand for the release of funds. "The captain and sailors are in good health," the ministry said.