Tehran says capable of retaliating in kind against US over stealing Iranian oil cargo

Iran’s defense minister says the country is capable of acting in kind in response to the United States’ stealing of its crude oil.

“We are stationed in a place which is strategic and very important. Energy supply lines cross this region, and we have control over them. If we want to retaliate in kind against the United States on a larger scale, we have what it takes to do so,” said Brigadier General Mohammadreza Ashtiani in reaction to the United States’ unloading of Iranian oil from a tanker it seized earlier this year.

“This is an act of piracy, a practice which is not accepted in the word, whatsoever,” said the Iranian defense minister.

“If something like this happens, we will definitely counter that, and we are even able to act on a much larger scale,” he said, adding,” but, for now, have limited our actions.”

After 19 months on September 8, 2023, the US Justice Department finally confirmed that it had seized an oil tanker named Suez Rajan, which had been carrying Iranian crude.

After American companies refused to unload the Iranian oil cargo, and under pressure from US Congress, the United States unloaded the oil shipment under the pretext that Iran had been smuggling the consignment to China.

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