A South Korean-flagged tanker vessel which was seized by Iran. is seen in Gulf, Iran January 4, 2021. IRGC / WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
SEOUL (Reuters) - Iran denied on Tuesday it was using a South Korean ship and its crew as hostages, a day after it seized the tanker in the Gulf while pressing a demand for Seoul to release $7 billion in funds frozen under U.S. sanctions.
The seizure of the MT Hankuk Chemi and its 20-member crew near the strategic Strait of Hormuz has been seen as an attempt by Tehran to assert its demands, just two weeks before President-elect Joe Biden takes office in the United States.
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