World
Grab from a video provided by the IRGC's official website via SEPAH News on July 20, 2019 allegedly shows the IRGC boarding the British-flagged Stena Impero in the Strait of Hormuz. Photo: IRGC / SEPAH News / AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – NATO condemned the seizure of two British vessels by Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, calling the move a “clear challenge” to international freedom of navigation. It urged diplomacy and dialogue to settle the dispute.
“We condemn the seizure of two commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz,” the North Atlantic Treaty Organization said late Saturday in a statement.
“This represents a clear challenge to international freedom of navigation. We urge Iran to immediately release the ships and their crew.
“The UK has made clear that their priority is to address the situation through dialogue and diplomacy. NATO supports all diplomatic efforts to resolve this situation. All Allies remain concerned by Iran’s destabilising activities.”
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) detained two British tankers on Friday evening in the Strait of Hormuz – a narrow strategic waterway which transits a significant portion of the world’s seaborne oil. One of the tankers was soon released while the other remains detained.
Iran accused the tanker crews of “violating international maritime rules and regulations” less than a week after Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called for retaliation against the British government, which deployed Royal Marines to board and detain a the Grace 1 tanker carrying Iranian oil to Syria – in violation of EU sanctions – near the Strait of Gibraltar on July 4.
Speaking to the BBC on Saturday afternoon, British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said he held a phone call with his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif to discuss the situation.
“It’s clear from talking to him and also statements made by Iran that they see this as a tit-for-tat situation following Grace 1 being detained in Gibraltar. Nothing could be further from the truth,” said Hunt, who is currently in the running to become prime minister.
“This is totally and utterly unacceptable. It raises very serious questions about the security of British shipping and indeed international shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.”
Hunt is expected to make a statement in the House of Commons later on Sunday to announce a package of diplomatic and economic measures against Iran.
The measures could include asset freezes and pressure to re-impose EU and UN sanctions previously lifted under the Iran nuclear deal, according to the Telegraph newspaper.
More than 160 members of the Iranian parliament have signed a letter endorsing the of the IRGC action, IRNA reported Sunday.
Iran’s envoy to the UK Hamid Baeidinejad tweeted on Sunday that Britain needs to contain “those domestic political forces who want to escalate existing tension between Iran and the UK well beyond the issue of ships.”
“This is quite dangerous and unwise at a sensitive time in the region,” he said, adding that Iran “is firm and ready for different scenarios.”
In a letter addressed to the UN Security Council and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Britain’s UN mission said: “The ship was exercising the lawful right of transit passage in an international strait as provided for under international law.”
“International law requires that the right of transit passage shall not be impeded, and therefore the Iranian action constitutes illegal interference.”
“Current tensions are extremely concerning, and our priority is to de-escalate. We do not seek confrontation with Iran.”
“But it is unacceptable and highly escalatory to threaten shipping going about its legitimate business through internationally recognized transit corridors.”
The European Union issued a statement on Saturday afternoon condemning the tanker seizures.
“The seizure of two ships by Iranian authorities in the Strait of Hormuz is of deep concern,” said the European External Action Service in a statement.
“In an already tense situation, this development brings risks of further escalation and undermines ongoing work to find a way to resolve current tensions.”
“We urge the immediate release of the remaining ship and its crew, and call for restraint to avoid further tensions. Freedom of navigation must be respected at all times,” it added.
Separately, the Germany foreign ministry condemned the “unjustifiable intervention in civilian shipping” warning it “further exacerbates what is already a tense situation”.
“Iran should respect the principles of freedom of navigation,” the French foreign ministry stated, while “strongly condemning it.”
Tensions in the Persian Gulf region have peaked in recent months after the US government cancelled oil waivers given to eight main customers of Iranian oil in early May, prompting Iran to scale back on its commitments to the 2015 nuclear deal.
A series of incidents including the downing of US surveillance drone last month and the seizure in Gibraltar have further escalated tensions.
On Saturday, a top Iranian general revealed that the Iranian anti-aircraft missile systems almost shot down two American MQ-9 Reaper drones on May 26 and June 13 for venturing into the Iranian airspace.
Iran is under extreme pressure economically as its oil exports fall to almost zero and foreign ports deny its ships docking and refueling.
Iran claimed on Saturday that the Stena Impero ship was detained because it was involved in an accident with a fishing boat, and then the British flagged tanker ignored distress calls from Iranian maritime authorities in nearby Hormozgan province.
Allahmorad Afifipour, the head of Ports and Maritime Organisations in Hormozgan province, said the ship was not carrying any load and the 23 crew members came mainly from India, some from Russia, Philippines, and Lithuania.
“As of now for the safety of the ship … the 23 crew members are carrying out their duties on the ship,” Afifipour said. “If necessary and depending on the request of the judicial authorities, the crew may be taken in for technical interviews.”
“We condemn the seizure of two commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz,” the North Atlantic Treaty Organization said late Saturday in a statement.
“This represents a clear challenge to international freedom of navigation. We urge Iran to immediately release the ships and their crew.
“The UK has made clear that their priority is to address the situation through dialogue and diplomacy. NATO supports all diplomatic efforts to resolve this situation. All Allies remain concerned by Iran’s destabilising activities.”
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) detained two British tankers on Friday evening in the Strait of Hormuz – a narrow strategic waterway which transits a significant portion of the world’s seaborne oil. One of the tankers was soon released while the other remains detained.
Iran accused the tanker crews of “violating international maritime rules and regulations” less than a week after Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called for retaliation against the British government, which deployed Royal Marines to board and detain a the Grace 1 tanker carrying Iranian oil to Syria – in violation of EU sanctions – near the Strait of Gibraltar on July 4.
Speaking to the BBC on Saturday afternoon, British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said he held a phone call with his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif to discuss the situation.
“It’s clear from talking to him and also statements made by Iran that they see this as a tit-for-tat situation following Grace 1 being detained in Gibraltar. Nothing could be further from the truth,” said Hunt, who is currently in the running to become prime minister.
“This is totally and utterly unacceptable. It raises very serious questions about the security of British shipping and indeed international shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.”
Hunt is expected to make a statement in the House of Commons later on Sunday to announce a package of diplomatic and economic measures against Iran.
The measures could include asset freezes and pressure to re-impose EU and UN sanctions previously lifted under the Iran nuclear deal, according to the Telegraph newspaper.
More than 160 members of the Iranian parliament have signed a letter endorsing the of the IRGC action, IRNA reported Sunday.
Iran’s envoy to the UK Hamid Baeidinejad tweeted on Sunday that Britain needs to contain “those domestic political forces who want to escalate existing tension between Iran and the UK well beyond the issue of ships.”
“This is quite dangerous and unwise at a sensitive time in the region,” he said, adding that Iran “is firm and ready for different scenarios.”
In a letter addressed to the UN Security Council and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Britain’s UN mission said: “The ship was exercising the lawful right of transit passage in an international strait as provided for under international law.”
“International law requires that the right of transit passage shall not be impeded, and therefore the Iranian action constitutes illegal interference.”
“Current tensions are extremely concerning, and our priority is to de-escalate. We do not seek confrontation with Iran.”
“But it is unacceptable and highly escalatory to threaten shipping going about its legitimate business through internationally recognized transit corridors.”
The European Union issued a statement on Saturday afternoon condemning the tanker seizures.
“The seizure of two ships by Iranian authorities in the Strait of Hormuz is of deep concern,” said the European External Action Service in a statement.
“In an already tense situation, this development brings risks of further escalation and undermines ongoing work to find a way to resolve current tensions.”
“We urge the immediate release of the remaining ship and its crew, and call for restraint to avoid further tensions. Freedom of navigation must be respected at all times,” it added.
Separately, the Germany foreign ministry condemned the “unjustifiable intervention in civilian shipping” warning it “further exacerbates what is already a tense situation”.
“Iran should respect the principles of freedom of navigation,” the French foreign ministry stated, while “strongly condemning it.”
A series of incidents including the downing of US surveillance drone last month and the seizure in Gibraltar have further escalated tensions.
On Saturday, a top Iranian general revealed that the Iranian anti-aircraft missile systems almost shot down two American MQ-9 Reaper drones on May 26 and June 13 for venturing into the Iranian airspace.
Iran is under extreme pressure economically as its oil exports fall to almost zero and foreign ports deny its ships docking and refueling.
Iran claimed on Saturday that the Stena Impero ship was detained because it was involved in an accident with a fishing boat, and then the British flagged tanker ignored distress calls from Iranian maritime authorities in nearby Hormozgan province.
Allahmorad Afifipour, the head of Ports and Maritime Organisations in Hormozgan province, said the ship was not carrying any load and the 23 crew members came mainly from India, some from Russia, Philippines, and Lithuania.
“As of now for the safety of the ship … the 23 crew members are carrying out their duties on the ship,” Afifipour said. “If necessary and depending on the request of the judicial authorities, the crew may be taken in for technical interviews.”
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