September 06-13
India is keeping up its attack against Iran for seizing an Indian tanker accused of polluting the Persian Gulf.
The Indians are not backing down but denying in even stronger terms that the ship, Desh Shanti, had done anything wrong.
News reports last week said India had satellite photos of the alleged oil slick left behind when, according to Iran, the tanker washed out its ballast tanks near Abu Musa island. The reports said the Indian tanker was 85 nautical miles away from the slick on July 29, when it allegedly caused the slick.
The two governments have both been summoning the other’s ambassador in an apparent effort to look tough.
Iran demands that the Indian tanker’s insurer pay for the oil slick, while India says Iran has no right to detain the ship—and its 35 Indian crewmen—and must release them immediately.
The ship was seized by Iran on August 13.
The Indian Directorate General of Shipping sent a message to Iran last week saying the International Maritime Organization, a UN agency, requires an offended nation to send a detailed report outlining the evidence against a ship accused of polluting before that country can detain the vessel.
However, “This Directorate has not received any report from your end establishing any involvement of the vessel in the misconceived pollution incident,” the message said.
