Iran Condemns US Attacks On Oil Tankers As Violation Of International Law

Iran condemned U.S. attacks on its commercial shipping fleet, saying they amounted to a clear violation of international law.

In a statement on Saturday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said overnight attacks on oil tankers anchored in Iranian waters were a continuation of what it called the U.S. “war of aggression” against Iran and its blockade of the country’s maritime trade.

The ministry said the attacks “constitute a clear violation of Paragraph 4 of Article 2 of the United Nations Charter, constitute a war crime, and represent an overt threat to international peace and the security of commercial shipping.”

Iran said it was determined to defend its sovereignty and national interests against what it called U.S. “state terrorism” and aggressive actions, including an economic campaign that had manifested itself in the continued naval blockade and harassment of commercial vessels.

The ministry said the United States, along with its allies and partners, would be responsible for the consequences of what it described as Washington’s continued hostile and interventionist actions in the region.

The U.S. military said in a statement on Saturday that it had attacked an Iranian oil tanker near Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf and two others in the Gulf of Oman.