TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy released a video on Monday in which its forces warn a British warship escorting a British oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz.
The video shows a recent operation of the IRGC Navy, in which the naval forces take control over a tanker named British Heritage.
Also, when the UK warship wants to interfere in the IRGC’s mission, the vessel receives a warning from the IRGC forces.
The British warship is the same vessel that escorted the oil tanker “Stena Impero”, which was seized by the IRGC Navy on July 19.
“British Navy Warship F-236, this is Sepah (IRGC) Navy warship; the tanker British Heritage is under my control; you are ordered not to interfere in my operation,” the IRGC commander warns the British warship in the footage.
US media reports had claimed that five armed Iranian boats attempted to seize the British tanker in the strategic strait but were driven off by a Royal Navy vessel.
CNN, citing two US officials, reported on July 10 that the Iranians ordered the British Heritage oil tanker crossing the strait to change course and stop in Iranian territorial waters nearby.
But the incident ended when the British warship, HMS Montrose, which was acting as an escort for the tanker, pointed its guns at the Iranian boats as a warning, forcing them to back off, CNN said.
The video footage came amid renewed tensions in the Persian Gulf where Iran has refused to release Stena Impero since it was seized on July 19 for violation of maritime rules.
The incident came two weeks after British marine forces boarded a supertanker laden with Iranian oil near the coast of Gibraltar.
The British Royal Marines seized the giant Iranian oil tanker in Gibraltar on July 4 for trying to take oil to Syria allegedly in violation of EU sanctions.
Tehran maintains that the supertanker was not bound for Syria and its seizure has taken place at the behest of the US.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry has summoned the British envoy to Tehran several times since the capture in protest at the UK navy’s move.
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