British Oil Tanker Seized by Iran in Strait of Hormuz

Another oil tanker has been seized by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday. This is the second vessel seized by Iran in one week.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps issued a statement on Press TV that the Stena Impero was confiscated at the request of Hormozgan Ports and Maritime Organization when passing through the Strait of Hormuz, for failing to respect international maritime rules and that the tanker has been transferred to the Iranian coast for further legal proceedings.

The manager of the ship who is also its owner issued a statement in which he said that the tanker has been confiscated by unidentified small crafts and a small helicopter in the strait, though it maintained that the vessel was in international waters and that the Northern Marine Management and shipping firm Stena Bulk are unable to contact the ship, which currently holds a crew of 23, and that no injuries have been reported.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard forces seized an oil tanker flying under the Panamanian flag last weekend as it was smuggling about 264,000 gallons of oil, the Iranian State TV reported on Thursday.

According to The Hill, Friday’s seizure comes as European signatories to an Obama-era nuclear deal scramble to persuade Tehran to reverse its recent efforts to enrich uranium beyond the pact’s limits. President Trump withdrew the U.S. from the agreement in 2018, though international observers said Iran had stayed within the deal’s limits until recently. The uranium enrichment has further strained already dire relationships between the United States and Iran, as Trump told the reporters last week that Iran is treading on very dangerous territory and that they better be careful.

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