LOC22:56
19:56 GMT
UNITED NATIONS, Dec 22 (KUNA) -- For the second time in a week, Iran on
Tuesday complained and warned that it would retaliate against the "unlawful"
acts by the United States Navy which pursued an Iranian commercial ship on the
high seas last October and caused another Iranian fishing boat to sink in
Iranian territorial waters last September.
In a letter to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Iranian Ambassador to the UN
Mohammad Khazaee complained that last October the Iranian ship 'Aba' was
pursued by the American destroyer USS Pinckney in the high seas on its way
from Dalian, China, back to Bandar Abbas port, Iran.
He added that a helicopter and a reconnaissance aircraft flew over the ship
and filmed it and the crew on board and that the destroyer stopped pursuing
the Iranian ship after the latter approached the Iranian waters where the
Iranian naval forces were present.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran expresses
its strong protest to this unlawful act by the American navy, and given the
repetition of such unlawful acts which are in violation of international law
and endanger the maritime security, informs the United States government that
it will be held responsible if such unlawful actions persist," Khazaee said in
his letter.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran reserves its right to take appropriate
countermeasures against the United States commercial vessels in the region,"
he warned.
Last week Khazaee also complained in a letter to Ban about the "unlawful"
attack by the US Navy in the Arabian Gulf against an Iranian fishing boat,
causing it to sink.
He complained that last September United States vessels with a crew of 20
individuals, belonging to the destroyer USS John Paul Jones, attacked an
Iranian fishing vessel in Iranian territorial waters, "illegally" searched and
fingerprinted its crew, and opened fire on its fuel tank, causing it to catch
fire and sink.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran strongly
protests this illegal action on the part of United States forces, and requests
an explanation of the reasons for the action and compensation for the losses
incurred by the owner of the Iranian fishing vessel," Khazaee said.
The US Government, he added, is "plainly responsible for any threat to
security in the ... Gulf and any disruption affecting the security of maritime
traffic that may arise as a result of such illegal actions."
He noted that his Government sent letters in this regard to the US
Interests Section in the Swiss Embassy in Tehran.
Iranian vessels are targeted by US, European and Israeli ships because they
have allegedly carried weapons to Syria, and from there to Hezbollah in south
Lebanon, in violation of UN sanctions. (end)
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