(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Iranian maritime authorities said Wednesday that Iran seized a ship carrying cargo for Denmark's giant Maersk group under a legal ruling over a longstanding commercial dispute.
Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards intercepted the Marshall Islands-flagged cargo vessel Maersk Tigris on Tuesday in the strategic Strait of Hormuz leading into the Gulf.
The Iranian Port and Maritime Organisation, in a statement, said the vessel was intercepted "upon a legal order" and transferred to Shahid Bahonar port in southern Iran.
The ruling was "based on a lawsuit by a private company called Pars Talayieh Oil Product company (Golden Pars Oil Products) against Maersk ship company," it said.
"This lawsuit has been ongoing in legal courts in recent years and the competent court has issued the ruling" after having heard from both sides in the dispute.
It said Maersk was ordered to pay financial damages in what was a purely commercial case with no political dimensions. The ship can only be released "upon a judicial ruling", it said.
Iran's foreign ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham said the action was taken in line with "rules and laws of the Islamic republic and in conformity with international regulations".
"We hope that once the financial dispute has been resolved the ship can resume its journey," she said in a statement received by AFP.
She said the 24 crew members - mostly from eastern Europe and Asia - were "in good health" and there were no restrictions on consular access.
Pars Talayieh, a private company which deals primarily in oil derivatives, was unavailable for comment on the case.
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