“Whitehouse asks Iran to immediately release seized ship near strait of Hormuz.
“Seizing a civilian vessel without provocation is a blatant violation of international law, and an act of piracy by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps,” White House statement read
The White House issued a statement Saturday, urging Iran to ‘immediately’ release a British-owned ship that it seized near the Strait of Hormuz. Amid escalating tensions in the Middle East and concerns of a potential retaliatory attack on Israel, the White House called for the immediate release of the vessel and its international crew.
“We call on Iran to release the vessel and its international crew immediately,” said National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson.
“Seizing a civilian vessel without provocation is a blatant violation of international law, and an act of piracy by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.”
The Iran’s seizure of the ship comes amid rising tensions in the Middle East and fears of the widening of the ongoing conflict in the region.
Iran has vowed to punish Israel for the killing of a top general in an airstrike on the country’s diplomatic mission in Syrian capital Damascus on April 1.
The United States and Israel believe that an Iranian attack is imminent and is expected over the weekend or early next week.
