Iran urged Greece on Tuesday to cooperate to resolve a crisis over the seizure of ships without involving the United States, after Iranian forces seized two Greek tankers in the Gulf following the seizure of an Iranian vessel off Greece.

    Tehran seized the Greek ships on Friday after Athens impounded the Iranian-flagged Pegas in April. The United States, which has imposed a tough sanctions regime on Iran, confiscated the Iranian oil cargo that was on the Pegas.

     "Mr Blinken has to realise that the era when the U.S. single handedly imposed its rules on the world has come to an end," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said, calling Washington "the biggest disrupter of free trade in the world".

    "I suggest the Greek government take the legal and judicial route in this respect without any fanfare," he said, adding that the crew members of the seized Greek ships were in good health and were in telephone contact with their families.