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Iran Revolutionary Guards Seize South Korean-Flagged Tanker in Gulf, Seoul Demands Release

An Iranian Revolutionary Guards vessel approaches an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. (AP file photo)
An Iranian Revolutionary Guards vessel approaches an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. (AP file photo)
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Iran Revolutionary Guards Seize South Korean-Flagged Tanker in Gulf, Seoul Demands Release

An Iranian Revolutionary Guards vessel approaches an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. (AP file photo)
An Iranian Revolutionary Guards vessel approaches an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. (AP file photo)

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps seized a South Korean-flagged tanker in Gulf waters and detained its crew, Iranian media said on Monday, amid tensions between Tehran and Seoul over Iranian funds frozen in South Korean banks due to US sanctions.

Seoul confirmed the seizure of a South Korean chemical tanker by Iranian authorities in the waters off Oman, and demanded its immediate release.

Several Iranian media outlets, including state TV, said the Guards navy captured the vessel for polluting the Gulf with chemicals.

“According to initial reports by local officials, it is purely a technical matter and the ship was taken to shore for polluting the sea,” state television quoted Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh as saying.

The semi-official Tasnim news agency published pictures showing the Guards’ speed boats escorting the tanker HANKUK CHEMI, which it said was carrying 7,200 tons of ethanol.

It said the vessel’s detained crew members included nationals of South Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam and Myanmar. Iran’s state TV said the tanker was being held at Iran’s Bandar Abbas port city. The ship had 20 crew members, according to South Korea’s foreign ministry.

The US Navy’s Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet is aware of the incident and is monitoring the situation, spokeswoman Rebecca Rebarich said in response to a Reuters query.

The incident comes ahead of an expected visit by South Korea’s deputy foreign minister to Tehran. Khatibzadeh said the visit would happen in coming days, during which officials would discuss Iran’s demand that South Korea release $7 billion in funds frozen in South Korean banks because of US sanctions.

The United States re-imposed sanctions on Iran in 2018 after Washington withdrew from Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with six major powers. Under that deal, Iran had agreed to curb its nuclear work in exchange for the lifting of sanctions.

Iran has retaliated by bypassing the restrictions of the deal step-by-step. In a move that could complicate efforts by US President-elect Joe Biden to rejoin the deal, Tehran said on Monday it had resumed 20% uranium enrichment at its underground Fordow nuclear facility.

In early 2019, Iran jacked up tensions in the world’s busiest oil waterway by seizing British-flagged tanker Stena Impero, two weeks after a British warship had intercepted an Iranian tanker off the coast of Gibraltar.

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World

UK Foreign Minister to Meet Rubio amid Tensions over Joint Air Base

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, president of the United Nations Security Council for February speaks during a press conference before the Security Council meeting, at UN headquarters in New York City, US, February 19, 2026. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, president of the United Nations Security Council for February speaks during a press conference before the Security Council meeting, at UN headquarters in New York City, US, February 19, 2026. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon
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UK Foreign Minister to Meet Rubio amid Tensions over Joint Air Base

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, president of the United Nations Security Council for February speaks during a press conference before the Security Council meeting, at UN headquarters in New York City, US, February 19, 2026. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, president of the United Nations Security Council for February speaks during a press conference before the Security Council meeting, at UN headquarters in New York City, US, February 19, 2026. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon

Britain's foreign minister Yvette Cooper ‌will meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday, after President Donald Trump renewed his criticism of London for ceding sovereignty of ​the Chagos Islands, which is home to a US-UK air base.
Last year, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer agreed a deal to transfer sovereignty of the Indian Ocean islands to Mauritius, while keeping control of one - Diego Garcia - through a 99-year lease that preserved US operations at the base, Reuters said.
Washington last year gave its blessing to the agreement, but Trump has since ‌changed his mind ‌several times. In January, Trump described it ​as ‌an ⁠act ​of "great stupidity", ⁠but earlier this month said he understood the deal was the best Starmer could make, before then renewing his criticism this week.
Cooper is meeting Rubio to discuss defense and security issues in Washington as Trump also toughens his rhetoric on Iran, saying Tehran must make a deal over its nuclear program in the ⁠next 10 to 15 days, or "really bad ‌things" will happen.
The Diego Garcia ‌base has recently been used for ​operations in the Middle East against ‌Yemen's Houthis and in humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Although on Tuesday ‌Rubio's State Department said it backed the Chagos accord, the next day Trump said Britain was making a big mistake.
"DO NOT GIVE AWAY DIEGO GARCIA!" Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social, saying the ‌base could be called upon in any future military operation to "eradicate a potential attack" from ⁠Iran.
Under the ⁠conditions for using the joint base, Britain would need to agree in advance to any operations out of Diego Garcia.
On Thursday, Britain's The Times newspaper reported that Trump's latest criticism of the Chagos deal came because Britain was yet to give permission to use the bases for future strikes against Iran, owing to concerns they may breach international law.
Asked about The Times report, Britain's Ministry of Defence said on Thursday it does not comment on operational matters and that Britain supported ​the ongoing political process between ​the US and Iran.

World

Turkish Police Detain Deutsche Welle Journalist over Social Media Posts

19 February 2026, Canada: Deutsche Welle (DW) logo is seen displayed on a smartphone screen. Photo: Thomas Fuller/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
19 February 2026, Canada: Deutsche Welle (DW) logo is seen displayed on a smartphone screen. Photo: Thomas Fuller/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
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Turkish Police Detain Deutsche Welle Journalist over Social Media Posts

19 February 2026, Canada: Deutsche Welle (DW) logo is seen displayed on a smartphone screen. Photo: Thomas Fuller/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
19 February 2026, Canada: Deutsche Welle (DW) logo is seen displayed on a smartphone screen. Photo: Thomas Fuller/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Turkish police have detained investigative journalist Alican Uludag on suspicion of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and spreading misinformation, sparking outrage among journalism groups.
Uludag, who works for German broadcaster Deutsche Welle’s Turkish service, was taken from his home in Ankara late Thursday as part of an investigation into social media posts. The Istanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office said he is suspected of “insulting the president” and “disseminating misleading information.”
The journalist, whose reporting focuses mainly on the judiciary and on corruption cases, was later transferred to Istanbul for questioning.
His detention drew sharp condemnation from press freedom advocates, who described it as an attack on media independence and democratic norms, The Associated Press said.
Deutsche Welle’s director‑general, Barbara Massing, demanded his release, calling the arrest “a deliberate act of intimidation.”
On Friday, journalists gathered outside Istanbul’s Çaglayan Courthouse to protest Uludag’s detention and to call for his immediate release.
The advocacy group, Reporters Without Borders considers Türkiye to be one of the most repressive countries for journalists, nothing that most media organizations are under government control and journalists face frequent legal pressure or intimidation.
At least 14 journalists or media sector workers are currently in prison, according to the Turkish Journalists Syndicate.

World

South Korea’s Ex-President Yoon Apologizes After Life Sentence Over Martial Law 

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol delivers a speech to declare martial law in Seoul, South Korea, December 3, 2024. (The Presidential Office/Handout via Reuters/File Photo)
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol delivers a speech to declare martial law in Seoul, South Korea, December 3, 2024. (The Presidential Office/Handout via Reuters/File Photo)
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South Korea’s Ex-President Yoon Apologizes After Life Sentence Over Martial Law 

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol delivers a speech to declare martial law in Seoul, South Korea, December 3, 2024. (The Presidential Office/Handout via Reuters/File Photo)
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol delivers a speech to declare martial law in Seoul, South Korea, December 3, 2024. (The Presidential Office/Handout via Reuters/File Photo)

Former ‌South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol apologized on Friday for his short-lived declaration of martial law in December 2024, a day after a Seoul court sentenced him to life in prison for masterminding an insurrection.

In a statement released by his lawyers, Yoon said that while he was sorry for the "frustration and hardship" brought upon the people by his martial law decree, he stood behind the "sincerity and purpose" behind his actions.

The Seoul Central District Court's decision ‌to hand him ‌a life sentence on Thursday was "predetermined," he ‌said, ⁠adding that the verdict ⁠against him was political retaliation.

"Forces that seek to smear a decision made to save the nation as an 'insurrection' and to use it beyond political attacks as an opportunity to purge and eliminate their opponents will only grow more rampant going forward," he said.

Yoon also questioned ⁠whether an appeal would have meaning ‌in what he described as an ‌environment where judicial independence could not be guaranteed, while telling ‌supporters to "unite and rise."

His lawyers separately said the statement ‌did not amount to an intention to forgo an appeal.

Yoon's martial law declaration lasted around six hours before being voted down by parliament, but it sent shockwaves through the country and ‌sparked street protests.

The court found Yoon guilty of subverting constitutional order by deploying troops ⁠to storm ⁠parliament and move to detain opponents, capping a dramatic fall that saw him stripped of office and end up behind bars.

Yoon, a former career prosecutor, denied the charges, arguing he had presidential authority to declare martial law and his action was aimed at sounding the alarm over opposition parties' obstruction of government.

A special prosecutor had sought the death penalty for Yoon, though South Korea has not carried out an execution since 1997.

A prosecutor said on Thursday the team had some "regret" over the sentencing, but declined to say whether they planned to appeal.