Bandar Abbas

The Greek cadet who worked onboard St Nikolas, the Greek-owned oil tanker seized by the Iranian navy last week, is being repatriated, the ship's managing company, Empire Navigation said Thursday.

The 19-year-old trainee captain will return to Greece accompanied by the Greek ambassador to Iran.

The Greek Foreign Ministry is making high-level contacts to secure the release of the Greek cadet captain who was one of 19 crew members aboard the Greek-owned tanker St Nikolas when it was seized by an Iranian army unit in the Red Sea last week.

According to reports, the Greek ambassador issued an official appeal to Tehran for the cadet captain's quick release.

The Greek-owned tanker St Nikolas, sailing under a Marshall Islands flag, that was seized by a group of five gunmen off the coast of Oman on Thursday has now anchored at the port of Bandar Abbas in Iran, sources said on Friday.

The Greek Foreign Ministry has assumed responsibility for ensuring the safety and repatriation of a Greek national who is part of the tanker's crew.

The positions of the two Greek tankers that have been seized by the Iranian authorities were announced by the website TankerTrackers.com.

The Greek tanker Prudent Warrior is anchored in the port of Bandar Abbas in Iran, while the Delta Poseidon is located north of the island of Larak, according to a post by TankerTrackers.com on Twitter.

Photo: Al-Alam

American commanders should not underestimate the capabilities of the Iranian Navy, said Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, promising to let his fleet set sail for the western part of the Atlantic in the near future.