On Saturday, UK Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt warned that the seizure of the Stena Impero tanker was a breach of international law. Tehran insists that the vessel was detained due to its collision with a fishing boat.
The head of the UK Chamber of Shipping, Bob Sanguinetti, said on Sunday that Iran had ‘clearly violated international laws’ when the country’s Revolutionary Guard detained the UK-flagged tanker.
Sanguinetti stressed that the vessel was in Omani territorial waters when it was seized by the IRGC, citing a UK government chart.
Sanguineti added that it was incorrect to compare the capture of the Stena Impero with the seizure of Iran-flagged Grace 1 that took place earlier this month off the coast of Gibraltar as the Iranian tanker had breached international law by defying EU sanctions.