NEW DELHI: Refusing to buy Tehran's contention that the Indian oil tanker it detained was causing pollution, India has told Iran that it had no business to force the ship into entering Iranian waters. Confirming that there was continuing "illegal coercion'' by Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in holding back the ship in Iranian waters, sources here said the government sees this as "an unfriendly act''.
After almost 24 hours of negotiations with Iranian authorities, the government said though it is still hoping that MT Desh Shanti, a medium-size tanker carrying 140,000 tonnes of crude from Iraq, will be released soon from its "illegal detention". While the shipping ministry said there was no provocation for such an act by Iran, MEA remained tight-lipped except to say it is in touch with Iran over the issue through diplomatic channels in both New Delhi and Tehran.
Iran has also demanded an anti-pollution undertaking from the ship's captain and owner, Shipping Corporation of India, for releasing the vessel. TOI had first reported on Thursday how the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had detained the vessel in international waters.
The location of Desh Shanti turned into a mystery later in the day with an Iranian news agency reporting that the ship had been diverted to Khor Musa port in Iran's Khuzestan province from its earlier location of Bandar Abbas.
Indian officials said United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) should have guaranteed safe passage for the ship. Iran has signed but not ratified UNCLOS. However, Iran has ratified the 1958 Geneva Convention on the Territorial Sea and Contiguous Zone. Both the conventions prevent Iran from blocking passage of all vessels without any provocation or justification.
Sources said the IRGC took control of the Indian ship on Tuesday itself before they forcibly tried to take it to the Bandar Abbas port, adding there was neither any reason nor precedent for such an "illegal action".
According to Iran's version of events, an oil ballast from the Indian ship left a 10-mile-long stain on Iranian waters in the Persian Gulf. India has vehemently denied this saying there was no evidence to suggest any environmental pollution whatsoever. Sources here said if pollution indeed was the reason for detaining the ship, the Revolutionary Guards did not have to forcibly pull the vessel out of international waters and take it all the way to Bandar Abbas.
Desh Shanti was subjected to a thorough inspection by Iranian authorities after it entered Iranian authorities. There were reports from Iran on Thursday that the vessel may be subjected to another round of inspection.
"What prompted such an action by IRGC to take such coercive and illegal actions against the rights of a merchant tanker of friendly country remains a mystery," said a source.
