UK should avoid escalating tensions: Baeidinejad
Iran's ambassador to the UK on Sunday urged the British government to contain 'domestic political forces' which want to escalate tensions between Tehran and London following the seizure of a British-flagged oil tanker in the Persian Gulf by Iran.
Iran Press/Iran news: Iran's ambassador to Britain, Hamid Baeidinejad, advised the UK government in a tweet to control and contain all 'domestic political forces' who are in favour of escalating tensions between Iran and the UK.
"Iran however is firm and ready for different scenarios," Baeidinejad continued in his tweet.
UK government should 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. Iran however is firm and ready for different scenarios.
— Hamid Baeidinejad (@baeidinejad) 21 July 2019
On 19 July, the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) announced the British oil tanker 'Stena Impero' has been impounded near the Strait of Hormuz.
Refinitive data showed the 'Stena Impero' is a British-flagged vessel owned by Stena Bulk shipping company.
On 20 July, the spokesman of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed that the impounded British oil tanker, Stena Impero, was moving the wrong way, trying to enter the Strait of Hormuz in waters normally used by ships and tankers exiting the Strait.
According to media reports, all Stena Impero crew are safe and in good health.
"All 23 crew aboard a seized British-flagged oil tanker are safe and in good health," CGTN reported.
Iran's state TV says all 23 crew aboard a seized British-flagged oil tanker are "safe and in good health".
— CGTN (@CGTNOfficial) 21 July 2019
Iran seized the vessel Stena Impero on Friday in a shipping route in the Gulf for what Tehran calls a violation of "international maritime rules" in the Strait of Hormuz pic.twitter.com/sQ2zuN3WuA
According to the IRGC spokesman, Iran had no choice but to impound the tanker, for safety reasons, and also because the oil tanker failed to respond to repeated warnings and messages sent to it by the IRGC navy. 213/211/209
Read more:
New video of seizure of Stena Impero tanker
Iran reveals safety issues which led to impounding of British oil tanker