In apparent retaliation for the seized tanker, Iranian paramilitary vessels tried to impede the passage of a British oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz, only turning away after receiving “verbal warnings” from a British navy vessel accompanying the ship, the British government said. Ali Rabiei, an Iranian government spokesman, said British authorities would release the ship because “the tanker’s destination was not what the British announced,” according to state TV. A day earlier, Iran had reiterated its demands that the British navy release the tanker, accusing London of playing a “dangerous game” and threatening retribution. The Iranian supertanker, carrying 2.1 million barrels of light crude oil, was seized with the help of British Royal Marines earlier this month off Gibraltar, a British overseas territory at the southern tip of Spain. Police in Gibraltar said Friday they arrested four crewmen of the Iranian ship, including its captain and chief officer.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer July 14, 2019 23:37 UTC