‘Queen’s thieves captive in the Strait’: How the Islamic republic’s media reacted

On Friday afternoon, the British-flagged Stena Impero tanker was making its way through the Strait of Hormuz when it was suddenly surrounded in the sea and in the air. Speedboats circled as masked men rappelled from helicopters to take control of the ship. It was not long before Iran’s Revolutionary Guard announced that it had detained the vessel, and in that moment a diplomatic crisis was sparked that mobilised the highest levels of the British government.

As far as Iran sees it, however, the crisis began some time ago – and the UK is to blame. On the morning after the seizure, the country’s newspapers largely characterised the incident as a reaction to British aggression, and a moment of triumph.

“Tanker for tanker; Iran acted to its pledge,” read the headline on the front page of the ultra-conservative Kayhan, referencing the seizure of an Iranian vessel by British Royal Marines off the coast of Gibraltar earlier this month.

The reformist Ebtekar followed suit, with: “The seizure of an oil tanker over the capture of an oil tanker.”

“The Queen’s thieves captive in the strait,” was how conservative newspaper Resalat saw the seizure. Other newspapers supported the detention as “lawful”, and referenced numerous “violations” by the British vessel.

Iran’s press is tightly restricted by the government, and the coverage closely mirrors the government’s characterisation of the crisis. Since Friday’s seizure, Iranian officials have largely echoed the media narrative. The spokesperson for Iran’s Guardian Council, Abbas Ali Kadkhodaei, was quoted in the semiofficial Fars news agency describing the seizure as a legal “reciprocal action”. The council’s statements are seen in Iran as being reflective of the views of Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.