Maersk Tigris To Be Sold Unless $10 Million Paid

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Thursday May 7, 2015

Iran's Press TV Tuesday reported that the country's Pars Tala'eyeh Oil Products Company will sell the Maersk Tigris unless the Danish shipping company pays $10 million in losses that the company says it has suffered.

Hamid-Reza Jahanian, the managing director of Pars Tala'eyeh, made the announcement and was quoted by MANA news agency as saying the ship will be released "upon the payment of the amount."

Meanwhile, Maersk says it has yet to receive any official documents from Iranian authorities regarding last week's seizure of the Tigris, despite having met with Iran's Ports & Maritime Organization (PMO), Reuters reports.

Maersk said in a statement that its representative met PMO officials, while the Danish ambassador in Iran met with officials from the Iranian ministry of foreign affairs. 

"We have yet to receive any written notifications (court ruling, arrest order or similar) pertaining to the seizure of Maersk Tigris or the cargo case," the company said.

The Iranian Embassy said in a statement last week that the vessel, which was seized due to a case over uncollected cargo, would be released only when the case was settled.

Maersk has acknowledged the case but says it has not received documents from a recent ruling.

The Tigris was seized last week by Iranian patrol boats in the Strait of Hormuz, causing the U.S. to dispatch vessels to monitor the situation and accompany U.S.-flagged vessels passing through the strait.