Stena Impero: British-flagged tanker seized by Iran is on the move

A British-flagged oil tanker held by Iran since July was released Friday and was heing toward United Arab Emirates, company that owns vessel said. Iran’s marine and port authority said Stena Impero left Iran Friday morning. 
Hours earlier, tanker h begun transmitting its location for first time in weeks just outside Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, where it h been held since its July 19 seizure. he of Swedish shipping firm Stena Bulk that owns tanker said it “has been a long wait” for vessel and its crew to be released.

RE: British Tanker Stena Impero Still Held In Iran

Owner is hopeful that ship will be on duty soon

Company president and CEO Erik Hanell said ship’s seizure “has meant an ermous pressure for us all, especially for crew.” ship was heed to Dubai, where crew would disembark and undergo medical checks. 
Hannel said vessel appeared to be in good condition and “hopefully it will be on duty within a week or so,” speaking by telephone with Swedish television.
ship-tracking website MarineTraffic.com showed Stena Impero heing south from Iran at a speed of just over 14 mph (22 kph).

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Iran seized tanker on July 19

Iran seized tanker on July 19 in Strait of Hormuz, narrow mouth of Persian Gulf through which 20% of all oil passes. raid saw commandos rappel down onto vessel via helicopter carrying assault rifles, dramatic ims later replayed on state television.
seizure came after British marines helped take control of an Iranian supertanker on July 4. Authorities in Gibraltar, a British overseas territory, seized ship carrying $130 million in crude oil on suspicion it was breaking European Union sanctions by taking oil to Syria. Gibraltar later released tanker, n called Grace 1, after it said Iran promised ship wouldn’t go to Syria. 
That ship renamed rian Darya 1, later sat off Syrian coast, angering Britain. Iran hasn’t said who purchased its 2.1 million barrels of crude oil.
On Monday, Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei h told journalists Stena Impero could leave. But ship remained outside Bandar Abbas until Friday. 
Earlier this month, Iran released seven crew members of Stena Impero. Sixteen stayed on board. 

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'Unlawfully seized by Iran'

Britain has responded to Iran’s release of tanker Friday by accusing Tehran of trying to disrupt freedom of navigation. 
U.K. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said ship “was unlawfully seized by Iran.” 
He said seizure was “part of a pattern of attempts to disrupt freedom of navigation. We are working with our international partners to protect shipping and uphold international rule of law.”
ship seizures come after months of heightened tensions in Persian Gulf, sparked by President Donald Trump’s decision over a year ago to unilaterally pull out of a nuclear deal with Iran. U.S. has imposed sanctions that have kept Iran from selling its oil abro and have crippled its ecomy. Iran has since begun breaking terms of deal. 

Meanwhile, re have been a series of attacks across Middle East that U.S. blames on Iran. y reached ir height on Sept. 14, with a missile and drone attack on world’s largest oil processor in Saudi Arabia and an oil field, which caused oil prices to spike by biggest percent since 1991 Gulf War. While Yemen’s Iranian-allied Houthi rebels claimed assault, Saudi Arabia says it was “unquestionably sponsored by Iran.”
Iran denies being responsible and has warned any retaliatory attack targeting it will result in an “all-out war.”

RE: Iran May Release Stena Impero Within Hours Says Swedish Owner