Iran: Ship’s Seizure Tied to Court Case

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/30/world/middleeast/iran-ships-seizure-tied-to-court-case.html

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Iranian officials on Wednesday sought to play down the significance of Iran’s seizure of a cargo ship a day earlier in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital international waterway. The officials said the vessel was owned by a corporate defendant in a civil case in Iran. They denied that the impoundment had been meant to send a belligerent message to other nations over freedom of navigation in the strait. “That’s a legal case,” said Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. “This is not a security issue or political issue.” A Foreign Ministry spokeswoman was quoted by Agence France-Presse as saying the action had been taken “in conformity with international regulations.” Some analysts in the United States said the seizure reflected what they called Iran’s desire to show it would not be bullied. Last week, the United States deployed warships near Yemen’s coast, in what was seen as a message to Iranian vessels in the area.