The UK Defense Secretary Penny Mordaunt said the UK-registered oil tanker seized by Iran was intercepted in Omani waters. She described the incident as a Hostile Act. A British-flagged ship, Stena Impero was carrying crude oil and it was boarded and captured by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on Friday. Iran claimed it took control of the vessel due to its collided with an Iranian fishing boat. But, Mordaunt informed Sky News that this claim was untrue. She added that the tanker was intercepted inside Oman’s territorial waters and makes Iran’s actions a Hostile Act.
The Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, Jeremy Hunt said that having spoken to his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif, Tehran saw the situation as a Tit for Tat following the detention of Grace 1 in Gibraltar. He said, “Nothing could be further from the truth. Grace 1 was detained legally in Gibraltarian waters due to it was carrying oil to Syria against EU sanctions. That’s why the Gibraltarian authorities acted completely with respect to due process and entirely within the law. It is noteworthy that Stena Impero was seized in Omani waters in clear contravention of international law and then it was forced to sail into Iran. Hunt said, “This is totally and utterly unacceptable. It raises very serious questions regarding the security of British shipping and international shipping in the Strait of Hormuz”.
Hunt said MPs would be updated regarding what further measures the government will take on Monday. He added that the threat level had been raised to three. The foreign secretary spoke after cabinet ministers held a session of the emergency Cobra committee. Moreover, the Labor leader, Jeremy Corbyn blamed Donald Trump for escalating tensions in the Gulf. He tweeted, “The UK tanker under Iranian control and its crew must be released. Escalation risks a deeper conflict, all sides must show restraint. Trump tearing up the Iran nuclear deal has fuelled confrontation. Its negotiated reinstatement is essential to defusing the threat of war in the Gulf”. British shipping has already been warned to steer well clear of the Strait of Hormuz, where the Stena Impero was seized.