Release of tanker sought

Seoul: South Korea is dispatching a delegation to Iran as early as today to seek the release of a tanker seized in Gulf waters by Iranian forces.

A senior diplomat is also set to go ahead with a planned visit to Teheran on Monday amid tensions over $US7 billion ($NZ9.71 billion) in Iranian funds frozen in Korean banks due to United States sanctions.

News of the visits came as Seoul’s foreign ministry called in the Iranian ambassador to South Korea for a meeting and urged the early release of the South Koreanflagged tanker and its crew of 20.

It was carrying a cargo of more than 7000 tonnes of ethanol when it was seized yesterday over what Iranian media said were pollution violations.

The incident comes as Iran shows increasing signs of willingness to assert its claims in the region as US Presidentelect Joe Biden prepares to take office later this month, succeeding Donald Trump.