Iran Seized UK Tanker Says it Used Wrong Exit Lane to Enter into Strait of Hormuz

Iran says the British-flagged Steno Impero tanker was using the exit lane to enter into the Strait of Hormuz, almost colliding with other vessels.

Ariana News Agency- 

According to IRNA, Iranian General Ramazan Sharif said the vessel was being escorted by the British Royal Navy when it “violated maritime rules and regulations” by sailing into the Strait of Hormuz in the wrong direction.

The Iranian Navy seized the tanker at the request of the Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran’s Hormozgan province, the General went on to say, according to IRNA.

Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported the UK vessel was in “contravention of international regulations” by sailing into the Strait of Hormuz in the wrong direction and switching off its GPS tracker.

The tanker “was entering the Strait from the southern route which is an exit path, increasing the risk of accident,” Tasnim news, an outlet close to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), reported

11 hr 38 min ago
US issues maritime alert for Strait of Hormuz
The US Maritime Administration, part of the Transportation Department, has issued an alert for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz as tensions escalate in the strategic waterway.

“Two vessels, United Kingdom and Liberian flagged, were harassed, boarded, and possibly seized by Iranian military personnel in these reported positions. These reports have been confirmed. Exercise caution when transiting this area.”

The notice said that Iran posed threats to US and international shipping in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, Gulf of Oman, Arabian Sea and Red Sea.