Iran Denies Reports of Halting Iranian Oil Vessels

The spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry denied claims made by Reuters regarding the halting of Iranian oil tankers, labeling them as fabricated, false, or biased reporting. Esmaeil Baqaei stated that there is no basis for any action against free trade or commercial vessels of any country in international waters.

Baqaei, during a press briefing on Monday, responded to a question about negotiations with the United States, saying, "Negotiations under conditions or approaches based on coercion and pressure are fundamentally meaningless. The Islamic Republic of Iran has been very clear in its stance on this matter. Iran has never closed the door to genuine and proper negotiations. However, we do not accept negotiation proposals based on intimidation and threats, and we do not consider them to be negotiations at all."

Regarding the claims made by Reuters about the halting of Iranian oil tankers, Baqaei said, "This news agency has repeatedly violated professional journalism standards, reducing itself to part of a social deception campaign concerning Iran and issues in the West Asia region. It has often produced or disseminated false, biased, or misleading news related to regional matters involving Iran. These claims are not new."

The Foreign Ministry spokesperson emphasized that, according to international law and the United Nations Charter, halting ships is entirely unacceptable.

He clarified, "There is no basis for any action against free trade and commercial vessels of countries in international waters. These claims are part of a media campaign that, unfortunately, is ongoing. Iran's maritime trade is entirely legitimate and legal, and we will certainly continue our activities in accordance with international law." - Shana