Speaker Says Tanker Seizure Tit-for-Tat

Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said that the seizure of a UK-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz was a response to Britain’s piracy against a tanker of his country in the Strait of the Gibraltar.

News ID: 446083

Date: 22 July 2019 - 09:34

RNA - “The British committed piracy and we responded to it,” Larijani said in Sunday’s open session of the Parliament, making a one-sentence remark in reference to the Friday’s seizure of a British oil tanker in Strait of Hormuz.

The remark came as Member of Parliament Hosseinali Hajideligani criticized the Parliament for not issuing a statement in support of the IRGC’s measure. “We expected that the Parliament would talk about the honorable measure of IRGC and Navy in seizing the English oil tanker.”

The IRGC impounded Stena Impero on Friday when it was passing through the Strait of Hormuz en route to Saudi Arabia "for failing to respect international maritime rules”.

"UK tanker ship, Stena Impero, has been detained by the vessels unit of the IRGC Navy's First Naval Zone at the request of the Ports and Maritime Organization's office of Hormuzgan province for disregarding international maritime rules and regulations as it was passing through the Strait of Hormuz this afternoon," the statement by the IRGCN public relations said.

According to Fars News Agancy, the statement added that the ship had been escorted to the Iranian coastal waters in Hormuzgan province and its control had been transferred to the Ports and Maritime Organization for further legal procedures and investigations.

A statement by Stena Impero shipping firm had announced there were 23 crew onboard the UK ship, stating that there had been no report on any harm or injury to the crew members since the vessel came under detention by the Iranian forces.

Director-General of the Ports and Maritime Organization's office in Hurmuzgan province stated that he filed a request for the seizure of the British tanker by the IRGCN after reports on its risky moves that made the vessel prone to accident.

847/940