Oil Tanker (Representative Image) (Danny Cornelissen/Wikimedia Commons)Tensions around the Strait of Hormuz escalated to an unprecedented height on late Friday (9 July) with Iran having seized a British oil tanker and taken it to an Iranian port, reports The Hindu.
As per Iran's Revolutionary Guard, the tanker called 'Stena Impero' was seized by Iran for not complying with international maritime rules and regulations. However, Britain has strongly protested the seizure of the British flagged vessel, calling the development unacceptable.
Earlier, the owner of the seized tanker, Stena Bulk had made public the information that it was unable to contact the vessel after it was approached by unidentified vessels and a helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz.
The company had also said that the tanker had 23 crew members aboard it, and was treading in international waters when it was approached.
Responding to the development, Britain's Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said that Britain's ambassador in Tehran was working in close contact with the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to resolve the situation and that Britain was working closely with international partners.
An Appeal...
Dear Reader,
As you are no doubt aware, Swarajya is a media product that is directly dependent on support from its readers in the form of subscriptions. We do not have the muscle and backing of a large media conglomerate nor are we playing for the large advertisement sweep-stake.
Our business model is you and your subscription. And in challenging times like these, we need your support now more than ever.
We deliver over 10 - 15 high quality articles with expert insights and views. From 7AM in the morning to 10PM late night we operate to ensure you, the reader, get to see what is just right.
Becoming a Patron or a subscriber for as little as Rs 1200/year is the best way you can support our efforts.