SHAFAQNA-The British-flagged oil tanker seized by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards more than two months ago for violating international maritime regulations when crossing the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf has been released.
“This morning’s satellite imagery captured by @planetlabs reveals that the #StenaImpero is NO LONGER ANCHORED at this location (27.07° N, 56.25° E),” TankerTrackers.com said on its Twitter account.
“She has been there since the second week of August”, Tasnim news told.
Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei had announced on Monday that “the legal process has finished” and the Swedish-owned vessel was free to leave.
Deputy Minister of Roads and CEO of Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) Mohammad Rastad made the remarks on the sidelines of signing a contract for construction of mechanized terminal for minerals at the venue of Shahid Rajaee Port on Tue. and said, “banning UK-flagged oil tanker ‘Stena Impero’ has been lifted and will leave Bandar Abbas soon.”
Infringement case of UK seized oil tanker ‘Stena Impero’ still is open and the amount of damages will be determined by experts and relevant judicial authority [Bandar Abbas Justice Administration Department] soon, he added.
The necessary guarantees will soon be submitted by insurer company of the UK oil tanker to Bandar Abbas Justice Administration Department, so that it [oil tanker] can leave Bandar Abbas, he said, adding, “meanwhile, submitting guarantees by insurer company have nothing to do with sanctions”, mehr news reported.
he British “Stena Impero” oil tanker was captured by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy on July 19 at the request of the Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran’s office in the province of Hormozgan for three cases of violation of maritime laws when it was passing through the high-traffic Strait of Hormuz.
The vessel was impounded at Bandar Abbas port for failing to respond to distress calls and turning off its transponder after hitting a fishing boat.
Moreover, Stena Impero had not heeded any of the warnings from the Iranian Ports and Maritime Organization.
The UK oil tanker was also reportedly polluting the Persian Gulf waters heavily by dumping crude oil residue.
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