The News
Saturday 07 of December 2024

UK says seized Iranian oil tanker could be released


AP Photo,In this image from file video provided by UK Ministry of Defence, British navy vessel HMS Montrose escorts another ship during a mission to remove chemical weapons from Syria at sea off coast of Cyprus in February 2014. The British Navy said it intercepted an attempt on Thursday, July 11, 2019, by three Iranian paramilitary vessels to impede the passage of a British commercial vessel just days after Iran’s president warned of repercussions for the seizure of its own supertanker. A U.K. government statement said Iranian vessels only turned away after receiving “verbal warnings” from the HMS Montrose accompanying the commercial ship through the narrow Strait of Hormuz. (UK Ministry of Defence via AP)
AP Photo,In this image from file video provided by UK Ministry of Defence, British navy vessel HMS Montrose escorts another ship during a mission to remove chemical weapons from Syria at sea off coast of Cyprus in February 2014. The British Navy said it intercepted an attempt on Thursday, July 11, 2019, by three Iranian paramilitary vessels to impede the passage of a British commercial vessel just days after Iran’s president warned of repercussions for the seizure of its own supertanker. A U.K. government statement said Iranian vessels only turned away after receiving “verbal warnings” from the HMS Montrose accompanying the commercial ship through the narrow Strait of Hormuz. (UK Ministry of Defence via AP)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Britain’s foreign secretary says the U.K. would facilitate the release of an Iranian tanker seized by Britain’s Royal Marines if Iran can provide guarantees the vessel would not breach European sanctions on oil shipments to Syria.

Jeremy Hunt made the comments on Twitter late Saturday after what he described as a “constructive call” with Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif. He said he reassured Zarif “our concern was the destination, not the origin, of the oil.” Hunt says Zarif told him Iran is not seeking to escalate.

The supertanker was seized earlier this month off Gibraltar at the request of U.S. authorities.

In apparent retaliation, Iranian paramilitary forces tried to impede the passage of a British commercial vessel accompanied by a British navy frigate near the Persian Gulf.