Amid West and Iran standoff, Iranian media says British tanker seized because of collision

Iran irked West after seizing a British-flagged oil tanker, which y alleged was due to collision with an Iranian fishing boat, Iranian news ncy reported.

British tanker reportedly caused dam to fishing boat, n didn't respond to calls from smaller craft. fishing boat informed Iran's Ports and Maritime

organisation, which tified Revolutionary Guard. IRNA reported that Revolutionary Guard vessels directed Stena Impero to an Iranian port for an investigation on Friday and that crew remained on board ship as per safety regulations.

Iran's attempt to offer a "technical" explanation for seizing tanker could signal a possible de-escalation of tensions in strategic Strait of Hormuz, which has become a flashpoint between Tehran and West.

Ar British ship was briefly detained by Iran on Friday before being allowed to go.

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seizure of Britain tanker became a crucial escalation of tensions between Iran and West that gained momentum following sanctions imposed by Trump ministration last year and spiraled since May.

At that time, U.S. anunced it was dispatching an aircraft carrier and ditional troops to Middle East, citing unspecified threats posed by Iran.

ongoing showdown between two nations has caused jitters around globe, with each maneuver bringing apprehensions that any misstep by eir side would plunge into a state of war.

Details of what took place on Friday remained sketchy after Iran reported that it h seized a British oil tanker in Strait of Hormuz. strait at mouth of Persian Gulf is a shipping channel for one-fifth of all global crude exports.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) on said Friday that Stena Impero h been taken into port because it was t complying with "international maritime laws and regulations."

A statement from Stena Bulk, which owns seized tanker, said it was unable to make contact with ship after it was approached by unidentified vessels and a helicopter in international waters. A spokesman for company's owners said tanker was in "full compliance with all navigation and international regulations."

company said tanker h 23 crew members of out of which 18 were Indian, rest were Russian, Latvian and Filipi nationalities and re have been reports of any of m bearing any injuries. 

U.K. has featured prominently in recent tensions with Iran. Britain's Royal Marines assisted in seizure of an Iranian oil supertanker on July 4 by Gibraltar, a British overseas territory off sourn coast of Spain. Britain said it would release vessel if Iran could prove it was t breaching European Union sanctions on oil shipments to Syria.

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt initially said that  two tankers were seized Friday in Strait of Hormuz, second sailing under a Liberian flag.

owner of Liberian-flagged tanker later said ship was briefly boarded by armed guards before being allowed to go. Iran's semi-official Fars news ncy tweeted that Mesdar h left Iran's territorial waters.

Hunt called seizures "unacceptable" and stressed importance of freedom of navigation, as he prepared to enter an emergency government meeting on Friday night.

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"We're t looking at military options, we're looking at a diplomatic way to resolve situation, but we are very clear that it must be resolved," Hunt later told Sky News, warning that if situation is t resolved quickly "re will be serious consequences."

US President Donald Trump said that US officials would talk with Britain about unfolding crisis.

"This only goes to show what I'm saying about Iran: Trouble, thing but trouble," he said.

Central Command said US. has intensified air patrols over Strait of Hormuz in response to seizure.

incident occurred two days after Washington claimed that a US warship h downed an Iranian drone in Strait. However, claim was explicitly denied by Iran, and even released foot of same to disprove US's claims.

On June 20, Iran shot down an American drone in same waterway, and Trump came close to retaliating but called off an airstrike at last moment, as per his claims.

Tensions flared after Trump withdrew US from Iran's 2015 nuclear deal signed by former US President Obama, with world leers. Next, he imposed ecomic sanctions on Iran, including oil imports. Iran's aggressive is evidence that  sanctions hit country's ecomy hard.  

Iran's government has desperately tried to get out of chokehold, pressuring or partners in nuclear deal, particularly European nations, to pressure U.S. to lift crippling sanctions.

Europeans — Germany, France, Britain, and European Union — want to maintain deal, but have t been able to dress Iranian demands without violating sanctions. Iran has begun breaching some of restrictions on its activities outlined in agreement to put pressure on m to find a solution.

In brawl between two nations, US has asked assistance from middle east allies like Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates in past weeks seeking military and financial contribution to a Trump ministration proposal called Sentinel Program — a coalition of nations working with U.S. to preserve maritime security in Persian Gulf and keep eyes on Iran.

Late Friday, officials said U.S. is sending several hundred troops as well as aircraft and air defense missiles to Saudi Arabia as part of its increased military presence in region. move has been in works for many weeks and is t a response to Friday's seizure by Iran of a British tanker.

Saudi Arabia King Salman approved hosting U.S. armed forces in kingdom "to increase joint cooperation in defense and regional security and stability," a statement in state-run Saudi Press ncy said.

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Maritime security in Strait of Hormuz has deteriorated in recent weeks after six attacks on oil tankers that U.S. has blamed on Iran — an allegation Islamic Republic denies.

incidents have jolted shipping industry, with some of 2,000 companies operating ships in region on high alert and many ordering ir vessels to transit Strait of Hormuz only during daylight hours and at high speed.

Of roughly 2,000 companies that operate ships in Persian Gulf, only a handful of companies have halted bookings outright.

U.K.-flagged vessels represented less than 0.6% of 67,533 ships sailing through Strait of Hormuz in 2018, with 427 transits, according to maritime publication Lloyd's. Crude oil prices climbed following Iran's anuncement about Stena Impero as trers worried escalating tensions could affect crude supplies.

(With AP inputs)