Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) has urged Greece to act committed to its international obligations, after the European country seized an Iranian-flagged ship, Trend reports citing IRNA.
The PMO, as the authorized maritime administration of Iran, issued a statement on Wednesday, saying that an Iranian-flagged ship was detained in Greek waters and its cargo was confiscated under a court ruling and in coordination with the US government.
That’s while, the statement added, the ship was forced to seek safety off Greece’s coasts. However, it unfortunately received no help and its cargo was discharged, which is a blatant act of piracy.
“Having faced bad weather conditions and technical problems, the ship called for assistance in accordance with international regulations. Based on those regulations, the vessels whose safety is threatened and demand assistance should be moved to a safe place by the country near which those vessels are.”
The same country, the statement added, should help the in-trouble vessel to fix its technical problems so that it can continue on its international path.
The PMO statement further criticized Greece for failing to observe regulations set by the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL).
“The Greek government has violated environmental regulations and breached its commitments toward countries whose vessels need help. This shows that Greek coasts are not safe for distressed ships,” the statement concluded.