1. The Rouhani admin and the central bank were making headway in reestablishing access to ~$7bn held in Korean banks.

Like with the STENA IMPERO seizure in 2019, this is the IRGC's way of just validating its own methods just as the alternative appears to be working. https://twitter.com/AbasAslani/status/1346064602686226433

2. Last week's progress on South Korea's facilitation of payments for COVID-19 vaccines showed how *lengthy negotiations* by the Rouhani admin were finally bearing fruit.

This move is about denying a victory to political opponents and insisting on pressure *alongside* talks.

3. Negotiations will continue and the ship will be released. But just as the IRGC claims that the seizure of the STENA IMPERO was crucial to the release of GRACE 1 in 2019, so too will they claim that the seizure of this ship helped release the frozen assets in South Korea.

4. The South Korean Deputy FM was scheduled to travel to Tehran for long-planned talks on the frozen assets.

Now, he will need to engage a wider range of "stakeholders" as part of those talks. Any resolution won't belong to Rouhani, or diplomacy, alone. https://www.entekhab.ir/fa/news/594126/%D8%AE%D8%B7%DB%8C%D8%A8-%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%87-%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%85-%D9%85%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%85-%D9%88%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AA-%D8%AE%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AC%D9%87-%DA%A9%D8%B1%D9%87-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%B3%D9%81%D8%B1-%D9%85%DB%8C%E2%80%8C%DA%A9%D9%86%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%85%DB%8C%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C%D9%85-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D9%86-%D8%B3%D9%81%D8%B1-%D8%AE%D8%A7%D8%AA%D9%85%D9%87%E2%80%8C%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D8%B1-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%AE%DB%8C%D8%B1%E2%80%8C%D9%87%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%A2%D9%86%E2%80%8C%D9%87%D8%A7-%D8%AF%D8%B1%D9%85%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%AF-%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%AC%D8%B1%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D9%BE%D9%88%D9%84%E2%80%8C%D9%87%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B4%D8%AF