Will Still Inspect Shipping, Iran Says
Iran said on Friday that it will continue to inspect ships in the Persian Gulf despite the cease-fire in its war with Iraq.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran will exercise the right, based on international regulations, to inspect ships in the period between the cease-fire and the establishment of comprehensive peace,” Tehran Radio, monitored in Nicosia, quoted Navy commander Rear Adm. Mohammed Hussein Malekzadegan as saying.
Iraq has said it would send two merchant ships into the gulf immediately after the cease-fire takes effect.
The Iranian navy regularly challenged and inspected ships in the Strait of Hormuz to stop war supplies from reaching Iraq. Some ships were escorted to Iranian ports for thorough searches and several Iraq-bound cargoes were confiscated.
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