Iran urges UN to press US for release of seized commercial vessel Touska
In a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the President of the Security Council on Tuesday, Ambassador Irav expressed “urgent concern” about what he described as ongoing violations of international law by the United States, including the deliberate targeting of Iranian commercial ships.
Elaborating on the incident regarding Touska, Iravani stated that US forces had seized the ship the day before in the Oman Sea, close to the Iranian coast, and described this move as a “hostile and unlawful act”.
“This attack involved coercion, intimidation and reckless endangerment of the lives of the ship’s crew and their families,” he added.
He underlined serious legal and security concerns, stating that the seizure of the civilian ship amounted to a clear violation of fundamental principles of international law, including the fundamental prohibition of attack.
“The deliberate intimidation and psychological terror inflicted on the crew and their families further heightens the seriousness of this act. Such behavior amounts to maritime piracy and represents a dangerous escalation that seriously threatens the safety and security of vital shipping routes,” he said.
Iravani also stated that the incident bore all the characteristics of aggression specified in the relevant resolution of the UN General Assembly and also represented a violation of the ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump on April 7. “This action poses a serious threat to regional and international peace and security, further destabilizing an already fragile situation.” he said.
The envoy said Iran unequivocally condemned the move as unlawful and called on the UN to take swift and decisive action by clearly condemning the attack, holding those responsible accountable and pressuring the United States to release the ship and everyone on board.
