US seizes Iranian tanker, starts unloading operations.

A shipment of Iranian crude oil, seized by the United States, has finally been unloaded after waiting off the coast of Texas for two and a half months. The tanker, Suez Rajan, had been docked off Galveston since May 30, unable to unload due to fears that customers would avoid any vessel carrying Iranian oil. However, on Sunday, another tanker, MR Euphrates, conducted a ship-to-ship transfer and took away the crude oil. The U.S. Department of Justice, Coast Guard, and Department of Homeland Security have not yet commented on the matter.

The delay in unloading the Iranian oil has been a concern for U.S. lawmakers, who have urged President Joe Biden and his administration to resolve the issue. They estimate the value of the oil on the seized tanker to be $56 million. The U.S. seizure of Iranian oil has also affected the US Fund for Victims of State-Sponsored Terrorism, as there may not be enough funds for a round of payments to nearly 16,000 Americans next year.

Source .