Iran has planted a British tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, further aggravating tensions in the Persian Gulf. The „Stena Impero“ violated „international maritime rules“, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards said. The British government threatened „serious consequences“ should the ship not be released soon.
The action in the Gulf region indicates that Iran has chosen a „dangerous path of illegal and destabilizing behavior,“ Hunt wrote in the Twitter briefing Tuesday. „We say very clearly that there will be very serious consequences if this situation is not resolved quickly,“ said Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt to the British broadcaster SkyNews. For example, the State Department announced on Saturday that it would install the Chargé d’Affaires of Iran in London. Hunt had barred military options on Friday night.
„We are looking for a diplomatic way to solve this situation,“ the minister said in the interview. How exactly that could look like, Hunt did not explain. He spoke with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about the situation. Attempts to telephone Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Jawad Sarif were initially unsuccessful.
Crew may not leave ship
The tanker had disregarded international regulations, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards said earlier. It was also reported that the crew of the „Stena Impero“ may not leave the ship until the end of the investigations. This was announced by a spokesman for the Port Authority in Bandar Abbas in southern Iran on Saturday. Of the 23 crew members, 18 are from India and five from Russia, from the Philippines and from Latvia, said the head of the Port and Shipping Authority of the Iranian province of Hormosgan, Allah-Morad Afifipur, the ISNA agency.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, the British government advised British ships to avoid the Strait of Hormuz for the time being. British ships should not „temporarily“ cross the waters around the Strait of Hormuz. The German Foreign Ministry called on Iran „emphatically“ for the „immediate“ release of the tanker. „Another regional escalation would be very dangerous,“ said a ministry spokesman.
Collided with fishing boat?
Also the reason of the fixing was announced – the „Stena Impero“ collided with a fishing boat, as Afifipur said on Saturday. According to the legal regulations, investigations into the „cause of the accident“ had been initiated.
The fishing boat had contacted the British ship after the incident, but received no response, said the head of the agency on. Therefore, the fishing boat according to the legal requirements, the shipping authority turned on.
The Iranian state-run news agency IRNA said the tanker reportedly shut off its flag on entering the Strait of Hormuz, driving on the wrong side of the fairway and ignoring Revolutionary Guard warnings. The British shipping company rejected the allegations. The ship complied with all navigation rules and international regulations.
The oil tanker has also been stopped in the waters of Oman, according to a report by the news channel Sky News. British Defense Secretary Penny Mordaunt said the incident was „hostile“, Sky News continued.
Temporarily second ship fixed
Shortly thereafter, the Liberian-flagged tanker „Mesdar“ of the British company Norbulk Shipping UK was pushed towards Iran. As the company announced, the „Mesdar“ was released soon thereafter. After three and a half hours, communication with the crew had been restored. The armed security forces had left the ship again, and the „Mesdar“ could continue the journey.
The US military has reportedly used reconnaissance aircraft to monitor the situation in the sea area. The aircraft operated in international airspace, said a spokesman for the US Central Command Centcom on Friday evening (local time). You are also in contact with US vessels in the area to ensure their safety.
Die Spannungen in der Region hatten sich in den vergangenen Monaten immens verschärft. Die Handelsschifffahrt wurde in den Konflikt zwischen den USA und dem Iran hineingezogen. Es kam zu mehreren Zwischenfällen mit Tankern und Drohnen. US-Präsident Donald Trump erklärte am Donnerstag, ein US-Marineschiff habe in der Straße von Hormus eine iranische Drohne zerstört. Teheran widersprach. Großbritannien und der Iran streiten zudem über einen in Gibraltar festgesetzten iranischen Öltanker.
US-Militär entsendet Soldaten nach Saudi-Arabien
Nach den Vorfällen am Freitag kündigte Trump an, sich eng mit Großbritannien abstimmen zu wollen. Er betonte aber auch, dass die USA nicht viele Tanker hätten, die in dem Seegebiet unterwegs seien. Die Vereinigten Staaten treiben derzeit eine Initiative namens „Operation Sentinel“ zum Schutz von Handelsschiffen in der Region voran. Dabei soll es vor allem darum gehen, die Straße von Hormus mit erhöhter Militärpräsenz in der Region besser zu überwachen.
Das US-Militär kündigte am Freitagabend zudem an, Soldaten nach Saudi-Arabien zu schicken. Der Schritt diene als zusätzliche Abschreckungsmaßnahme und dazu, die Streitkräfte und Interessen der USA in der Region vor Bedrohungen zu schützen. US-Medien hatten zuvor darüber berichtet, dass es sich um bis zu 500 Soldaten handeln
