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India seeks release of crew from UK tanker seized by Iran
NEW DELHI, July 25, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – India has asked Tehran to quickly
release and return 18 nationals on board a British-flagged oil tanker
captured by Iranian forces last week, the foreign ministry said Thursday.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps seized the Stena Impero on
Friday, surrounding it with attack boats before troops rappelled onto its
deck from a helicopter.
The oil tanker and its 23 crew have since been impounded at the southern
port of Bandar Abbas for allegedly breaking “international maritime rules”.
Apart from the 18 Indians, there are three Russians, a Latvian and a
Filipino on the ship.
The seizure has been seen as a tit-for-tat move after British authorities
detained an Iranian tanker off Gibraltar this month on suspicion it was
shipping oil to Syria in breach of EU sanctions.
The foreign ministry said it had sought consular access to the Indian
crew.
“We have requested for early release and repatriation of 18 Indians who
are detained off the Iranian coast,” foreign ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar
said at a media briefing.
“We have sought access and we do hope access will be granted very soon. We
continue to impress upon Iranian authorities to release them so that we can
begin the process of repatriation.”
Images from inside the ship released by Iranian authorities on Monday
showed some Indian crew members sat around a table, chatting and smiling. Two
members could be seen cooking in the ship’s kitchen.
The tanker’s seizure has deepened a crisis between Iran and the Western
countries that was triggered in April when the US said it would sanction
countries buying oil from Iran.
Kumar said India was also hopeful the 24 Indians who are part of the crew
on board Iranian tanker Grace 1 which was seized by Gibraltar authorities on
July 4 would be safely returned.
“We had sought consular access and it was granted yesterday (Wednesday). A
three-member team visited and met all the crew members,” he added.
“What we saw was all the crew members were very calm and composed, there
was no sense of panic… we assured them that the government was taking all
necessary steps for their early release.”
Iran has hinted it is open to a tanker swap — releasing the Stena Impero
in exchange for its tanker Grace 1 being allowed on its way.
BSS/AFP/BZC/2015HRS