The United States and France have called for Iran to release the ship.
A US State Department spokesperson called the seizure “part of a clear attempt to extort the international community into relieving the pressure of sanctions.”
The French foreign ministry said the seizure was “fueling tensions in the region.”
A South Korean delegation led by Foreign Ministry official Koh Kyung-sok (L) leaves for Tehran via Qatar at Incheon international airport, west of Seoul, on January 6, 2021. (YONHAP/AFP)
South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun arrived in Tehran on Sunday for a long-planned visit.
The South Korean news agency Yonhap has said Choi’s aim during his visit was to “negotiate an early release” of the tanker and its crew, which includes South Korean, Indonesian, Vietnamese and Burmese sailors.