Audio released of Iran taking over ship

Britain says it was a retaliatory move

An audio recording released Sunday reveals the tense moments before a British-flagged oil tanker was seized by Iranian Revolutionary Guard forces rappelling from helicopters to the ship’s deck.

The Stena Impero tanker “was confiscated by the Revolutionary Guards ... for failing to respect international maritime rules,” the guard said after the seizure Friday. Video posted online showed Iranian soldiers in black ski masks sweeping onto the ship in the Strait of Hormuz.

In the audio recording released Sunday by the security risk firm Dryad Global, the voice of an apparent Iranian official warns the tanker’s crew to alter course.

“If you obey, you will be safe,” the voice says. “Alter your course 3-6-0 degrees immediately.”

The voice of a British naval officer patrolling the area warns that the ship has a right to continue undisturbed.

“I reiterate that as you are conducting transit passage in a recognized international strait, under international law, your passage must not be impaired, intruded, obstructed or hampered,” the British officer says.

The Iranian voice says, “No challenge is intended. I want to inspect the ship for security reasons.”

Moments later, the ship was boarded and seized by Iranian soldiers.

Two weeks ago, British marines seized an Iranian tanker off the southern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. That tanker was suspected of breaching sanctions against oil shipments to Syria.

Friday, Gibraltar’s Supreme Court ruled that the Iranian tanker could be detained for 30 more days, triggering outrage in Tehran. British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said he spoke with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif, who viewed seizure of the Stena Impero as a “tit-for-tat” situation.

“Nothing could be further from the truth,” Hunt said. “Our priority continues to be to find a way to de-escalate the situation.”

Tensions between Iran and the West, particularly the U.S., have risen since President Donald Trump decided last year to pull out of the nuclear pact between Iran and several global powers.

Hunt warned Iran of “serious consequences” if it does not release the ship, but he ruled out “military options.”

Zarif blamed Trump’s hawkish “Bteam” led by national security adviser John Bolton for the heightened tensions.

The Revolutionary Guard said the Stena Impero was escorted to Iranian coastal waters in Hormozgan province and its control transferred to the Ports and Maritime Organization for further investigation.