Iran: Seized UK-Flagged Oil Tanker “Free To Leave”

[Swordsmyth]

Iran: Seized UK-Flagged Oil Tanker “Free To Leave”

The British-flagged oil tanker Stena Impero, which Iran seized in the middle of July in the Strait of Hormuz, is now “free to leave Iran,” Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiyee said on Monday.

More at: https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-...ized-UK-Flagged-Oil-Tanker-Free-To-Leave.html

 

[Swordsmyth]

Two days after Iran said that the detained UK-flagged oil tanker was “free to leave Iran,” officials in the Islamic Republic said on Wednesday that the detention order had been lifted, but the tanker is still being detained because of the ongoing investigation.
The British-flagged oil tanker Stena Impero, which Iran seized in the middle of July in the Strait of Hormuz, is now “free to leave Iran,” Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiyee said on Monday, but that may not be so, sources say.


On Wednesday, Abbas Mousavi, spokesman for the Iranian foreign ministry, said on Twitter that “The lifting of the detention order against Steno Impero was finalised today, but the investigation of some of its violations and environmental damage remains open,” as carried by Reuters.
According to Iran’s Fars News Agency, Mousavi said today that procedures to release Stena Impero were “in final stages.”
On Tuesday, a day after Iran said the tanker was “free to leave,” Erik Hanell, President and CEO of Swedish firm Stena Bulk which owns the tanker, said in a statement:
“Despite public statements by Iranian authorities over the past three days that judicial proceedings have concluded, and the Stena Impero is free to leave Iran, the vessel remains detained at anchor in Bandar Abbas.”


“We continue to work hard to secure the release of the crew and vessel. Upon release of the vessel we will release a further statement,” Hanell said on Tuesday.

More at: https://oilprice.com/Geopolitics/Mi...r-As-Iran-Holds-Onto-Detained-Oil-Tanker.html

 

[Swordsmyth]

The British-flagged Stena Impero tanker was released Friday after more than two months of being moored outside Iran's Bandar Abbas port.

Footage showing #British oil tanker Stena Impero starting to move from Bandar Abbas port of #Iran for international corridor of Persian Gulf on Friday morning. pic.twitter.com/3rIIQUZkwo
— Abas Aslani (@AbasAslani) September 27, 2019​

Stena Impero was seized in July by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz for alleged marine violations two weeks after British naval forces detained an Iranian tanker off the territory of Gibraltar.

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"The ship is on the move," Erik Hanell, the chief executive of the ship's owner, Sweden's Stena Bulk, told Reuters in a text message. "We will comment further when the ship reaches international waters."
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According to Refinitiv tracking data, the vessel is heading for Dubai's Port Rashid in the United Arab Emirates. The automatic identification system, an automated tracking system that uses transponders on the ship, indicates the vessel is "underway using the engine," traveling at 12 knots, and about 155 miles from Port Rashid.

The vessel is likely to reach its destination in about a day, is expected to make more headlines when the vessel hits international waters and arrives at Port Rashid.

The Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran in Hormozgan Province said in a statement the vessel left the Bandar Abbas port early Friday and was heading towards international waters. The statement added that a judicial file was still open on the ship.


More at: https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/freedom-uk-tanker-held-iran-leaves-after-being-seized-july