Official:

Iran to Release British-Flagged Vessel Soon

Head of the Ports and Maritime Department of Iran's Hormuzgan Province Allahmorad Afifipour announced that his country will soon release the Stena Impero, the British-flagged tanker which was impounded because of violating maritime regulations in the Strait of Hormuz.

News ID: 447254

Date: 24 September 2019 - 21:13

RNA - "Pursuant to a court order requiring an end to detention of the British oil tanker Stena Impero, this vessel will soon be released after 65 days of detention and begin its movement from the port of Bandar Abbas toward international waters," Afifipour said on Sunday.

Noting that legal procedures for the tanker's exit from Iranian waters are underway and the results would be announced later, the official, however, added that the case related to the ship's infractions of the maritime law is still open.

"The final judgment on the violation of maritime law [by the UK vessel] will be passed through legal channels and its judicial results will be announced" in due time, he said.

The British oil tanker, the Stena Impero, was impounded by Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) on July 19 for numerous violations of international maritime regulations when it was passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

The British-flagged vessel has 23 crew members, 18 of which were from India. The other crew members are from Russia, Latvia and the Philippines.

Last Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyed Abbas Mousavi said that the Stena Impero, which was impounded because of violating maritime regulation in the Strait of Hormuz, will be soon freed after observing legal proceedings.

Legal proceedings against UK-flagged Stena Impero are “almost finished” and there remains just “two or three formalities” to take care of before releasing the ship, said Mousavi in his weekly press conference.

“This release is not being made because of any third party’s mediation,” he highlighted.

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