Supreme Leader acknowledges Iran took Greek oil tankers

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has acknowledged that Iran took two Greek oil tankers last month in helicopter-launched raids in the Persian Gulf. He said Saturday the confiscations were retaliation for Greece’s role in the U.S. seizure of crude oil from an Iranian-flagged tanker the same week in the Mediterranean Sea over violating Washington’s harsh sanctions on the Islamic Republic. Khamenei says: “You stole our oil, we took it back from you. Taking back a stolen property is not called stealing.” The seizures ratcheted up tensions between Iran and the West already simmering over Iran’s tattered nuclear deal with world powers.