Iran finally frees British Stena Impero oil tanker nine weeks after capture

Iran’s ambassador to the UK, Hamid Baeidinejad, has revealed the British tanker is free to leave after the completion of a judicial and legal process. The Stena Impero was captured off the coast of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on July 19, for alleged marine violations. It was seized with 23 of its crew on board, and Iran released only seven of the seafarers on September 4. 

Last night, Allahmorad Afifipour, the head of the Ports and Maritime Organisation of Iran in Hormozgan Province, said the tanker’s release was imminent.

He said: “After the issuing of the ruling for the end of detention of the English tanker Stena Impero this vessel will soon, and after the passing of 65 days, begin its movement from the port of Bandar Abbas toward international waters.”

The British vessel was seized just two weeks after the Royal Marines detained an Iranian tanker off the coast of Gibraltar on suspicion it was taking 2.1 million barrels of oil to Syria – in breach of an EU arms embargo. 

The Iranian tanker, Adrian Darya 1, was released in August.

It was released following written guarantees the oil would not be sold to Syria but Tehran defied the agreement.

The British Foreign Office said it was clear the ship’s cargo had been transferred to the Assad regime in an “unacceptable violation” of international norms.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab was furious at the move, and immediately demanded to see the Syrian ambassador.

He said: “Iran has shown complete disregard for its own assurances over Adrian Darya 1.

“This sale of oil to Assad’s brutal regime is part of a pattern of behaviour by the Government of Iran designed to disrupt regional security.

“This includes illegally supplying weapons to Houthi insurgents in Yemen, support for Hezbollah terrorists and most recently its attempts to hijack commercial ships passing through the Gulf.

“We want Iran to come in from the cold but the only way to do that is to keep its word and comply with the rules based international system.”

More to follow…

source: express.co.uk