Iran’s Foreign Affairs Ministry on Monday asked the Indonesian government for an explanation for the arrest of one of its motor tankers (MT) because the Persian nation has received contradictory information about what happened.
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"We have received conflicting information regarding the seizure of the Iranian tanker in Indonesia and we are awaiting further reports from the Indonesian government," said Foreign Affairs Minister spokesperson Said Jatibzadeh.
On Sunday, the Iranian-flagged ship MT Horse and the Panamanian ship MT Freya were apprehended for alleged oil smuggling while anchoring in the waters of the Indonesian archipelago.
According to the Indonesian Maritime Security Agency (BAKAMLA), the oil tankers had a hose between them through which they were transferring fuel to each other.
Jatibzadeh stressed that what happened is one of those technical problems that occur with some frequency in maritime transport.
Iranian Oil Minister Biyan Zanganeh also confirmed that his country is closely monitoring what happened between the two ships.
These vessels and their 61 crew members were escorted to Batam island where they will remain in detention while the investigations continue.