Spanish
Panama City.- Panama condemned this Wednesday the "illegal" seizure by Iran of a Panamanian-flagged vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, an action that the Central American country has called a "serious attack" on maritime security and contrary to international law.
"Panama, a maritime country with the largest merchant fleet in the world and a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, condemns in the most energetic way the illegal seizure this Wednesday, by the authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran, of the Panamanian-flagged and Italian-owned ship, MSC-Francesca," stated a statement from the Panamanian Foreign Ministry.
The official note highlights that the ship was transiting around the Strait of Hormuz "when it was seized and forcibly moved to Iranian territorial waters." "Furthermore," he continues, "they represent a serious attack on maritime security and constitute an unnecessary escalation at a time when the international community advocates that the Strait of Hormuz be kept open to international navigation without threats or blackmail of any kind."We recommend reading: U.S. denies that commercial ships have bypassed its blockade of Iranian ports
This condemnation from Panama comes after the Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced this Wednesday the seizure of two ships in the Strait of Hormuz, including the 'MSC-Francesca', for "operating without the necessary permits" and assured that they had been taken to the coast of Iran. «Two offending vessels, the ‘MSC-FRANCESCA’ - linked to the Zionist regime - and the ‘EPAMINODES’, which were operating without the necessary permits and had manipulated their navigation systems, endangering maritime safety, were seized by the Navy of the Revolutionary Guard», announced the elite military body in a statement reported by the Tasnim agency.The Naval Blockade
The Guard affirmed that the actions were due to the "alteration of order and security in the Strait of Hormuz", which it described as a "red line" for the Islamic Republic.
A spokesperson for the Greek Ministry of Merchant Marine confirmed to EFE that the Greek container ship 'Epaminondas' was attacked this Wednesday in the Strait of Hormuz, but denied, however, that it had been seized by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. Hours earlier, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO), which monitors the safety of ships and sailors around the world, had reported at least two attacks on vessels near the Strait of Hormuz. These events occur after Trump indefinitely extended the ceasefire with Iran, which expired this Wednesday, and announced an indefinite truce to allow time for negotiation with the Islamic Republic. Trump asserted, however, that he will maintain the naval blockade imposed against Iran, which Tehran has denounced as a violation of the truce and has therefore refused to participate in another round of negotiations.
