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Top diplomat threatens retaliation over UK seizure of Iranian tanker

Top diplomat threatens retaliation over UK seizure of Iranian tanker
posted onJuly 14, 2019
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Iranian ambassador to UK warned late Saturday that if the Iranian oil tanker stay under Britain’s hands for longer, this action “cannot remain unanswered.”

Calling the incident an act of “piracy”, the top Iranian diplomat, Hamid Baeidinejad called UK for immediate release of the tanker, and warned that if UK fails to do so, it should expect Iran’s response.

“The ship didn’t violate any law or norm, but UK through its piracy, most certainly, violated the law,” said Baeidinejad in a message published on his Twitter account late Saturday night.

He added that “having miscalculated in its unlawful seizure of the tanker, UK should not repeat the mistake.”

Iranian ambassador to UK threatened that the UK’s action “cannot remain unanswered.”

On Thursday, July 4 British Royal Marines seized an Iranian supertanker while passing through Strait of Gibraltar. It is believed that Iranian ship was carrying oil to Syria, which is in violation of Europe’s sanctions. Grace 1 supertanker was possibly transferring more than 2.1 million barrels of light crude oil to the Baniyas refinery in Syria.

In one of the most recent and controversial reactions against the seizure of the ship, Iranian president Hassan Rouhani said, “Britain will face the repercussions.”