According to CCTV News, Iran’s semi-official media Tasnim News Agency reported on April 6, local time, that the Iranian cargo ship “Saviz” had an accident in the Red Sea.
According to Tasnim News Agency, the accident was caused by the explosion of a mine attached to the hull. According to reports, this cargo ship has been stationed in the Red Sea for a long time to provide support for Iran’s anti-piracy escort missions there.
In addition, Reuters quoted a report from Saudi Arabia’s Al Arabiya TV station as saying that the Iranian cargo ship that was attacked belonged to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.
Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that commercial ships were attacked
According to CCTV News, on April 7, local time On the 6th, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Khatibzadeh said that at about 6 a.m. local time on the 6th, an Iranian commercial ship “Saviz” encountered an explosion near the coast of Djibouti in the Red Sea. The hull was slightly damaged. At present, The accident is under investigation.
Khatibzad emphasized that according to previous official announcements and coordination with the International Maritime Organization, the civilian ship “Saviz” is stationed in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden areas. to ensure maritime safety on this route. The “Saviz” actually serves as logistical support and technical support for Iranian ships in the Red Sea. Therefore, the ship’s specifications and missions have been officially announced to the International Maritime Organization before.
Khatibzadeh said that fortunately, the accident caused no casualties. Iran is conducting a technical investigation into the cause of the accident and will take all necessary measures to investigate the accident through international agencies. measure.
According to CCTV News, regarding the attack, the US “New York Times” reported that an unnamed US official told the “New York Times” that Israel informed the United States , Israel admitted responsibility for the attack on an Iranian ship. This attack was an act of retaliation for Iran’s attack on Israeli ships in February this year.
However, so far, neither the Israeli government nor the Israel Defense Forces have publicly commented on the attack.
The attack on the ship coincided with the negotiations on the Iran nuclear agreement
According to Xinhua News Agency, Israeli and Iranian ships There have been repeated attacks since late February, with both sides accusing each other of carrying out the attacks.
On February 25, the Israeli cargo ship “Elios Rey” exploded in the Gulf of Oman. The explosion caused two holes in the hull, but the cargo ship was still able to sail safely and the crew was safe. Israeli security services determined that Iran was responsible for the explosion.
On March 10, a cargo ship of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Company was attacked by explosives in the international waters of the Mediterranean. A fire broke out at the explosion site but was quickly extinguished. The hull was partially damaged and there was no Crew casualties. Iran believes that this incident was most likely caused by Israel.
It is worth noting that the April 6 attack on the “Saviz” coincided with the political director-level meeting of the Joint Committee on the Iran Nuclear Issue in the Austrian capital. was held in Vienna to discuss the issue of the United States and Iran resuming compliance with the treaty.
According to Xinhua News Agency, the meeting that day was chaired by Deputy Secretary-General of the European External Action Service Mora. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Araghchi and corresponding officials from Russia, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany attended the meeting. , Wang Qun, China’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Vienna, attended. Because the United States has withdrawn from the Iran nuclear agreement and Iran refuses to talk directly with the United States, U.S. representatives did not attend. However, it is reported that the delegation of the US President’s Special Envoy for Iran Affairs Mali has arrived in Vienna, and EU representatives will communicate the opinions of the United States and Iran through “shuttle diplomacy”.
Moura said on social media on the evening of the 6th that the talks were “constructive” and that the participants all hoped to start a joint diplomatic process and have two expert working groups responsible for the nuclear agreement. Enforcement and lifting of sanctions against Iran. According to reports, the two working groups will be responsible for refining the specific content that Iran and the United States can operate in these two aspects.
According to a statement issued by the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 6th, Araghchi stated at the meeting that Iran is ready to immediately withdraw its measures to break the restrictions of the agreement after verifying that sanctions are lifted. Complete Fulfill the Iran nuclear agreement. U.S. State Department spokesperson Price said that day that although the United States did not have direct dialogue with Iran this time, the meeting was still a constructive step.
Wang Qun said in an interview with the media that this meeting launched two processes, one is the working process of the nuclear field and sanctions relief working group, and the other is the “close relationship” with the United States. contact” process. He believed that the meeting was an important meeting held at a critical stage of the Iranian nuclear issue.
On the 7th local time, Iranian President Rouhani stated at a cabinet meeting that the revitalization of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (i.e., the Iran Nuclear Agreement) has opened a new chapter. After the talks in Vienna, the current signatories to the Iran Nuclear Agreement agreed that the Iran Nuclear Agreement is the best option and should be fully implemented. Rouhani said this was a huge success for Iran.
Rohani said that the U.S. government has never been so isolated as it is now. Whether it is in the United Nations Security Council, the International Court of Justice, or in the face of international public opinion, even its European allies have not chosen to follow. It stands together.
What will happen to international oil prices?
In fact, the situation in Iran is very important to oil prices.�. Goldman Sachs said in a report on Monday that supply concerns may shift to Iran’s potential rejoining the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) agreement, given that OPEC+ currently appears to be seeking to exit the market. However, crude oil has been strong in the past two days, possibly due to the renewed uncertainty in the Iran issue.
The path to a deal could still take months, Goldman Sachs said, adding that other OPEC+ producers would adapt to Iran Potential growth in production.
Normalization of Iranian exports by the end of 2021 would reduce Goldman’s forecast for Brent crude oil prices of $75 per barrel in 2021 and 2022 by $5, the report said , and the lack of an agreement will create upside risks of more than $10 by 2022.
Goldman Sachs said that even if OPEC+ crude oil production is expected to increase by another 2 million barrels per day after July, it still expects oil demand to pick up significantly this summer. </p
