Photo: TASNIM NEWS

TEHRAN, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Government spokesman Ali Rabiee said Tuesday that South Korea has taken as "hostage" over 7 billion U.S. dollars of Iranian assets.

"We are not hostage takers, if anyone is a hostage taker, it is the South Korean government" which has kept Iran's assets under "vain pretexts," Rabiee said during his press conference.

Rabiei's comments came a day after Iran seized a South Korean-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz for "environmental concerns."

Iran's funds from oil exports are frozen in the South Korean banks amid U.S. pressures over sanctioning Iran.