Iran seizes British tanker in strait

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt responds to Iran’s seizure of a UK oil tanker.

This photo issued by Stena Bulk shows the British oil tanker Stena Impero at an unknown location. It is reported to have been captured by Iran. Picture via AP

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said that Tehran seizing a UK-flagged oil tanker showed “worrying signs Iran may be choosing a dangerous path of illegal and destabilising behaviour”.

“Our reaction will be considered but robust,” Hunt said on Twitter on Saturday, adding that Britain “will ensure the safety of our shipping”.

In a dramatic development in the Gulf region, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards seized the British oil tanker, the with 23 crew in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting an emergency “Cobra’’ meeting of British officials.

Early this morning Australian time the owners of a British oil tanker, the 30,000-tonne Stena Impero, issued a statement saying their ship had been approached by unidentified small crafts and a helicopter during transit of the Strait of Hormuz while the vessel was in international waters.

“We are presently unable to contact the vessel, which is now heading north towards Iran,” the ship owners, Stena Bulk, and the ship’s managers, Northern Marine, said.

The Revolutionary Guards issued a statement saying they had seized the Stena Impero, citing international maritime law for their action.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, however, denied also holding the British-operated, Liberian- flaggedship Mesdar in the Gulf. The denial was carried by Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency and was confirmed by the company.

“Despite reports, the ship has not been seized … and was allowed to continue its course after being warned about safety issues by Iranian forces,” the report said, quoting regional military sources.

The operator of the Mesdar tanker, Glasgow-based Norbulk Shipping UK, said communication had been re-established with the ship after it was boarded by armed guards about 5.30pm on Friday.

“Communication has been re-established with the vessel and master confirmed that the armed guards have left and the vessels free to continue the voyage. All crew are safe and well,” a statement said.

Earlier, before the Mesdar statement, British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said “I’m extremely concerned by the seizure of two vessels by Iranian authorities in the Strait of Hormuz. I will shortly attend a COBR [national security] meeting to review what we know and what we can do to swiftly secure the release of the two vessels — a British- flagged vessel and a Liberian-flagged vessel,” he said.

“These seizures are unacceptable. It is essential that freedom of navigation is maintained and that all ships can move safelyand freely in the region,” Mr Hunt said.

Relations between Iran and the West have become increasingly tense since British naval forces seized an Iranian tanker in Gibraltar on July 4 on suspicion of smuggling oil to Syria in breach of European Union sanctions.

US President Donald Trump said he would talk to Britain about the tanker seizure, after a war of words earlier in the day over whether the US had shot down an Iranian drone in the Strait of Hormuz.

The Guards, an elite force under the command of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said they seized the Stena Impero at the request of Iranian authorities for “not following international maritime regulations”, state television reported.

The development has escalated tensions between Iran and Britain, which have been simmering for weeks, and comes just days before the British government is preparing to welcome a new prime minister: either the former foreign secretary Boris Johnson or the current Foreign Secretary, Mr Hunt.

The UK Ministry of Defence said it was “assessing the situation following reports of an incident in the Gulf’’.

Tracking data shows the sudden change of direction of both ships towards Qeshm island, where the Iranian Revolutionary Guard has a stronghold. The Mesdar was cruising at 13 knots before it suddenly slowed to just three knots and abruptly changed direction, with no radio communications.

The seizure of the ships is believed to be retaliatory action for the ongoing detention of the Iranian tanker, Grace 1, on July 4.

Grace 1 was carrying over two million barrels of oil and believed to be heading to Syria in violation of an EU embargo before being seized by Royal Marines on July 4.

Iran has said the detention of the ship is an act of piracy.

Overnight the Gibraltar Supreme Court ruled that Grace 1 can be detained for 30 more days.

On July 10 Iranian military vessels attempted to divert a UK tanker, the British Heritage, before a British warship, HMS Montrose, intervened.

Adding to the tensions, Iran and the US have been at odds over Iran’s nuclear ambitions amid the US imposed oil and financial embargo of over a year ago.