Authorities at Iran's Bandar Abbas port are said to have demanded $5,00,000 from India to release the tanker Desh Shanti, which was carrying crude from Iraq. Desh Shanti was held to ransom by Iranian authorities — spearheaded by the dreaded Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) — for 26 days.    

The Union government has concluded in a damning initial assessment of the incident that it has sent shockwaves across countries in Asia and Europe importing oil from the Persian Gulf. New Delhi, however, refused to pay the money and finally the ship was released last on September 6 night after Indian authorities gave an undertaking with Tehran that they would pay for the alleged pollution caused by Desh Shanti should it be held accountable by an appropriate court of law.    

The Union government has now filed an appeal with the Indian Ocean Memorandum of Understanding (IOMOU) on Port State Control — a 16-nation grouping of maritime nations — calling for a review of Iran's action.