Iran Vows to Respond in Kind!

Iranian legal advisor to the president Mohammad Dehghan confirmed to official media today, Thursday, that "the country will respond in kind if any of its ships are detained," in response to a previous statement from the U.S. Department of Justice. The legal advisor stated, "If any Iranian ship is detained, we will respond in kind, and the legal path is not closed in this regard," adding that he cannot "confirm whether the U.S. authorities have detained an Iranian ship or not." Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Justice issued a statement announcing the "seizure of over 500,000 barrels of Iranian fuel, aimed at undermining the financial network of the Revolutionary Guard." Orders from the Iranian judicial system often serve as the basis for the Revolutionary Guard's seizure of foreign tankers.