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| Seized UK-flagged tanker involved in ‘incident’ with Iranian fishing boat, probe launched – Tehran | Seized UK-flagged tanker involved in ‘incident’ with Iranian fishing boat, probe launched – Tehran |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| The UK-flagged oil tanker was involved in an “incident” with an Iranian fishing boat in the Strait of Hormuz before it was seized by the IRGC, an Iranian official said. Its crew remains on board as a probe was launched by Tehran. | The UK-flagged oil tanker was involved in an “incident” with an Iranian fishing boat in the Strait of Hormuz before it was seized by the IRGC, an Iranian official said. Its crew remains on board as a probe was launched by Tehran. |
| The vessel Stena Impero was seized by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Friday night. | The vessel Stena Impero was seized by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Friday night. |
| The IRGC intervened because the ship was approaching an Iranian fishing boat and did not respond to its “distress call,” the director of ports and maritime affairs of Iran’s southern Hormozgan province, Allahmorad Afifipour, said. | |
| The tanker was taken to the port city of Bandar Abbas and “all of its 23 crew members will remain on the ship until the probe is over,” the official stated. | The tanker was taken to the port city of Bandar Abbas and “all of its 23 crew members will remain on the ship until the probe is over,” the official stated. |
| The IRGC said the ship was seized “for failing to respect international maritime rules.” Military sources told Iranian media that the vessel “turned off its tracker” and ignored several warnings before being captured. Press TV, citing sources, also reported that oil was leaking from the tanker into the Persian Gulf. | |
| Britain’s Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the seizure of the ship was “unacceptable” and promised a “robust” response. The US likewise blasted Iran for intercepting the tanker and called for the vessel and its crew to be released “immediately.” | |
| The ship is owned and operated by Swedish transport company Stena Bulk. Its crew consists of 18 Indians, while the rest are from Russia, Latvia, and the Philippines. The company said the tanker was “in full compliance with all navigation and international regulations” during its voyage. It did not receive any reports of injuries among the crew as the ship was captured by Iran. | |
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