US DOS: Iran Must Release Seized Ship, Crew

Iran must immediately release a vessel it seized in the Gulf and its crew, a U.S. State Department spokesperson said on Thursday.

"The United States strongly condemns the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy’s continued harassment of vessels and interference with safe passage in and around the Strait of Hormuz," the spokesperson added in an email to Reuters after Iran said it had seized a foreign tanker smuggling fuel in the Gulf.

"Iran must cease this illicit activity and release the reportedly seized crew and vessel immediately."

Reporting by Mohammad Zargham