WASHINGTON, April  13, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - The White House on Saturday called
on Iran to immediately release a British-owned ship it seized near the Strait
of Hormuz, as Middle East tensions soar and fears mount over an retaliatory
attack on Israel.

"We call on Iran to release the vessel and its international crew
immediately," said National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson.

"Seizing a civilian vessel without provocation is a blatant violation of
international law, and an act of piracy by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards
Corps."