ZCZC
BFF-38
IRAN-BRITAIN-SWEDEN-SHIPPING
Iran gives final green light for British-flagged tanker to leave
TEHRAN, Sept 25, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – British-flagged oil tanker Stena Impero,
seized by Iran more than two months ago, was Wednesday given the final
clearance to leave, foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said.
He tweeted that “the lifting of the seizure of the vessel Stena Impero was
finalised today” after a procedure coordinated by the foreign ministry,
Iran’s judiciary and its port and maritime authorities.
But a legal case “remains open”, he said. “The captain and the owners have
signed a written commitment to accept the verdict” handed down at the end of
proceedings.
On Monday, government spokesman Ali Rabiei had announced that “the legal
process has finished” and the Swedish-owned vessel was free to leave.
But Erick Hanell, CEO of the owners Stena Bulk, denied Tuesday that the
tanker had left Iran and said it was still waiting for authorisation.
Earlier the same day, specialist shipping website TankerTrackers reported
the Stena Impero had set sail.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had surrounded the vessel with attack
boats before rappelling onto the deck of the tanker in the Strait of Hormuz
on July 19.
It was impounded at Bandar Abbas port for allegedly failing to respond to
distress calls and turning off its transponder after hitting a fishing boat.
Seven of its 23 crew members were released on September 4.
The seizure was widely seen as a tit-for-tat move after the British
overseas territory of Gibraltar detained an Iranian tanker earlier in July on
suspicion it was shipping oil to Syria in breach of EU sanctions.
A Gibraltar court ordered the Iranian tanker’s release on August 15 despite
an 11th-hour US legal bid to keep it in detention.
Tehran has repeatedly denied the two cases are related.
BSS/AFP/SSS/1850 hrs