Sources Reveal Reasons for Capture of UK Oil Tanker in Persian Gulf
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Informed sources revealed the legal grounds that Iran had to capture a British oil tanker which violated international maritime regulations when crossing the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf.
Tasnim has learned from informed sources that Britain’s “Stena Impero” oil tanker was captured by the Iranian military forces for three cases of violation of the maritime law when it was passing through the high-traffic Strait of Hormuz on Friday evening.
The UK vessel had switched off its GPS locator, in contravention of international regulations, and was sailing into the Strait of Hormuz in a wrong traffic pattern.
The British tanker was entering the strait from the southern route which is an exit path, increasing the risk of an accident
Moreover, Stena Impero had not heeded any of the warnings from the Iranian Ports and Maritime Organization.
An informed source said the UK oil tanker was also polluting the Persian Gulf water heavily by dumping crude oil residue.
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy captured the British oil tanker on Friday evening at the request of the Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran’s office in the province of Hormozgan.
The oil tanker has been transferred to the Iranian coast for the necessary legal procedures.