Envoy: UK act not to be left unanswered if tanker not released
Iranian Ambassador to London reacted to illegal seizure of the Grace 1 supertanker carrying Iranian oil at Gibraltar, saying any failure to release it will not be left unanswered.
"Having miscalculated in its unlawful seizure of tanker, UK should not repeat its miscalculation. Ship did NOT violate any law or norm - but UK, through its illegal piracy, most certainly has," Hamid Baeidinejad wrote in his Twitter account.
He added: "Failure to release the tanker and its cargo will NOT be left unanswered."
Gibraltar police announced on Saturday that all crew of the supertanker Grace 1, carrying Iranian oil, were released on bail shortly after freeing two captains.
Gibraltar police said in a statement that all crew members have been released on bail but investigations are still underway and the supertanker is being held.
Gibraltar local police had captured two captains of the supertanker carrying Iranian oil for the alleged violation of EU sanctions against Syria.
The police said that it confiscated documents and the electronic system of the supertanker.
In the wake of the news on dispatching UK second warship to the Persian Gulf, the UK Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs said the UK is not seeking to escalate tensions with Iran.
“This is that the situation is changing every hour, but we are reacting to what is happening in measured and careful way and we are being clear to Iran that we are seeking to escalate the situation.”
SkyNews announced that HMS Duncan, a Type 45 Destroyer, will sail to the Persian Gulf in the coming days after completing NATO exercises in the Black Sea.
It stressed that HMS will not be part of an international maritime coalition proposed by Washington.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif described the UK act to seize the supertanker Iranian oil in Strait of Gibraltar as piracy, saying it is crystal clear that it has been accomplished upon US request.
He added that the UK vindication in this regard is childish and ridiculous.
The UK should officially announce that it has carried out the US demand, Zarif noted. The US or EU has no legal capacity to impose sanctions on sovereign states.
Sanctions on other states are in total disregard of the International Humanitarian Law.
Of course, only the UN Security Council is in a position to impose sanctions in cases that the international law has been subject to the blatant violations.
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