New York: Iran’s envoy to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, has formally called on the international organization to compel the United States to promptly and without conditions free the Iranian merchant vessel Touska, its crew, and their families, according to Iranian state media outlet Press TV.
In correspondence addressed on Tuesday to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the Security Council president, Ambassador Iravani expressed “urgent concern” regarding what he termed repeated breaches of international law by the United States, notably the intentional targeting of Iranian merchant vessels, ANI reported.
Iravani outlined the Touska episode, noting that US military personnel seized the ship in the Sea of Oman close to Iran’s shoreline just one day prior, terming the operation 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 underscored the grave legal and security implications, asserting that confiscating the civilian ship constitutes a blatant infringement of key tenets of international law, such as the basic ban on aggression.
“The deliberate intimidation and psychological terror inflicted on the crew and their families further aggravate the severity of this act. Such conduct amounts to maritime piracy and represents a dangerous escalation that severely threatens the safety and security of vital shipping routes,” he said.
Iravani also pointed out that the episode matches the definition of aggression in a pertinent UN General Assembly resolution, while also contravening the ceasefire declared by US President Donald Trump on April 7.
“This action poses a serious threat to regional and international peace and security, further destabilising an already fragile situation,” he said.
The diplomat stated that Iran resolutely denounces the seizure as illegitimate and pressed the UN for immediate and firm measures, including publicly rebuking the incident, pursuing accountability for perpetrators, and insisting that the United States liberate the vessel and all those aboard.
