UK, Iran express tough stance over ships seizure
(VOVWORLD) - Britain’s Junior Defense Minister Tobias Ellwood said the UK is considering targeting Tehran with sanctions in response to Iran’s capture of a UK oil tank on Friday.
 The UK's Stena Impero ship, July 20, 2019 (Photo: IRNA/VNA) |
Iran's envoy to Britain Hamid Baeidinejad on Sunday urged the UK to contain "domestic political forces" which he said wanted to escalate tension between the two countries beyond the issue of ships. Mr. Baeidinejad said that the move is quite dangerous and unwise at a sensitive time in the region. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced Friday that its navy has captured the British-flagged oil tanker, Stena Impero, accusing the British tanker of "violating international regulations." The move came hours after a British court said it will extend the capture of Iran’s Grace 1 ship for another 30 days. The UK said the ship was carrying crude oil to Syria, in violation of European Union sanctions.