IRAN SEIZES 2 BRIT TANKERS20
Govt crisis talks as Revolutionary Guards hijack ships & crew
TWO British oil tankers were seized by Iran yesterday amid rising tensions in the Gulf. Revolutionary Guard forces captured the Stena Impero and Mesdar. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt last night called a Cobra meeting. He said: “These seizures are unacceptable.” The Mesdar was released but owners of the Impero, with 23 on board, said: “We are presently unable to contact the vessel.”
A DESPERATE hunt was last night launched to discover the fate of a British oil tanker and its crew after two ships were seized by Iran.
There were fears one of the vessels was captured yesterday in retaliation for the storming of Iranian vessel the Grace 1 by 30 Royal Marine commandos near Gibraltar earlier this month.
The Stena Impero and Mesdar were seized by Revolutionary Guard forces in the dangerous Strait of Hormuz. But it is thought Mesdar was later allowed to go.
It sparked concerns that British commercial shipping is allowed to sail through the waters without naval escorts given the escalating tensions in the region between Iran and the West.
Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt was being kept up to date. A Government spokesman said: “We are urgently seeking further information and assessing the situation following reports of an incident in the Gulf.”
Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said he is “extremely concerned” by the events.
He added: “These seizures are unacceptable. It is essential that freedom of navigation is maintained and that all ships can move safely and freely.” Deputy Labour leader Tom Watson called the alarming news a “real concern”.
As Mr Hunt last night called a COBRA meeting on the crisis, owners of the Stena Impero said they lost contact with the vessel, which has 23 sailors on board, after it took a “sudden turn” into Iranian waters. They said: “Stena Bulk and Northern Marine Management can confirm that at approximately 1600 BST on July 19, UK-registered vessel Stena Impero was approached by unidentified small crafts and a helicopter during transit of the Strait of Hormuz while the vessel was in international waters.
“We are unable to contact the vessel which is now heading north towards Iran. There are 23 aboard. There have been no reported injuries and their safety is our primary concern.
“The priority of both vessel owner Stena Bulk and ship manager Northern Marine Management is the safety and welfare of the crew.
“Northern Marine Management has not been able to establish contact with the vessel since being notified.
“We are in close contact with UK Government authorities.”
Mr Watson added: “We
LABOUR’S TOM WATSON ON IRAN’S INTERVENTION IN GULF
know some days ago there was an attempt to steer a British tanker towards Iranian waters. Our ships have the right of safe passage and the Stena Impero must be allowed to continue its voyage unimpeded.
“Any move to seize a British tanker would be a significant and harmful escalation of a situation where de-escalation is needed.”
Iran’s state news agency claimed the Stena Impero had turned off its tracker and ignored warnings. It was heading to Saudi Arabia when it veered off course. The British-operated, Liberian-flagged
Mesdar also turned sharply north after passing westward through the Strait of Hormuz into the Gulf, according to tracking devices.
It was said to have then docked at Bandar Abbas, Iran. It is not known how many crew are on board.
A government source claimed there were no British on either vessels. The Revolutionary Guard has been desperate to seize a UK-registered ship since Grace 1 was seized on July 4 amid claims it was trying to deliver oil to Syria in breach of an EU embargo on Bashar al-Assad.
Former First Sea Lord West said it was
“absolutely extraordinary” a UK tanker was not escorted by the Royal Navy. He added: “The bottom line is that they [Iran] want a ship in their hands which they can use as leverage. That’s the way they operate.
“I’m shocked a ship on its own was going through dangerous waters. I would hope we’re not sending any more ships without looking after them.”
Sir Richard Dalton, former UK ambassador to Iran, said Iran, led by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei since 1989, was “trying to put a scare into the owners and operators of tankers” in the region. UK-flagged ships in Iranian
Any move to seize a British tanker would be a harmful escalation of situation
waters were put on the highest state of alert, meaning the risk of attack is “critical”, this month.
The Royal Navy’s Type 23 Duke-class frigate HMS Montrose was already in the region, while the Type 45 Daring-class destroyer, the £1billion HMS Duncan, is sailing towards the Gulf.
The UK Chamber of Shipping said: “We condemn unreservedly the capture of Stena Impero in the Strait of Hormuz. The action by those involved is in violation of international regulations which protect ships and their crews as they go about their legitimate business.
“Our priority is for the safety and welfare of the crew.
“We call on the Government to do whatever is necessary to ensure their safe and swift return. This incident represents an escalation. Whilst we call for measured response, it is clear further protection for merchant vessels must be forthcoming.”
A source said US military forces are monitoring the transit of American commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz with armed aircraft overhead.
Donald Trump, who is at loggerheads with Iran over its nuclear programme, added: “We will talk to the UK. We have an agreement. They’ve been a very great ally of ours. So we heard about it, we heard it was one, we heard it was two, and we will be working with the UK.”