TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - The Latest on tensions in the Persian Gulf (all times local):
7:05 p.m.
The chief executive of the Swedish shipping firm that owns a British-flagged oil tanker held by Iran since July and released Friday says embassy representatives from India, Russia, Latvia and the Philippines visited the crew during their “10 weeks of detainment on the vessel.”
Erik Hanell, who heads the Sweden-based Stena Bulk group, also says the Swedish Foreign Ministry and “various UK government departments” assisted in securing the release of the vessel that was held at the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas.
Hanell added Friday that the crew members’ names will not be released and asked that their privacy is respected.
The Stena Impero left Iranian territorial waters headed for Dubai where the crew would disembark and receive medical checks and be de-briefed.
Iran seized the tanker July 19 in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which 20% of all oil passes. The seizure came two weeks after British marines helped take control of an Iranian supertanker off Gibraltar on July 4.
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4:15 p.m.
Iran’s president says U.S. sanctions on his country are “more unstable than ever.”
Hassan Rouhani’s comments to reporters Friday came immediately after returning from the U.N. General Assembly meetings in New York. Many observers saw that trip as an opportunity for a possible meeting between Rouhani and President Donald Trump.
Rouhani says the U.S. has put up barriers to dialogue with Iran by imposing its sanctions, adding: “Otherwise Iran does not fear negotiation.”
Tensions between Washington and Tehran have been heightened since the U.S. unilaterally pulled out of a nuclear agreement with Iran last year. The U.S. has imposed sanctions that have kept Iran from selling its oil abroad and have crippled its economy.
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2 p.m.
Britain has responded to Iran’s release of a U.K.-flagged oil tanker seized in July by accusing Tehran of trying to disrupt freedom of navigation.
The Swedish owner of the Stena Impero confirmed Friday that it had left the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas and was headed for Dubai.
U.K. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab says “the Stena Impero was unlawfully seized by Iran.”
He says the seizure was “part of a pattern of attempts to disrupt freedom of navigation.” He says London is “working with our international partners to protect shipping and uphold the international rule of law.”
Iran seized the tanker July 19 in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which 20% of all oil passes. The seizure came two weeks after British marines helped take control of an Iranian supertanker off Gibraltar on July 4.
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1:55 p.m.
The head of the Swedish shipping firm that owns a British-flagged oil tanker held by Iran since July says “it has been a long wait” for the Stena Impero to get it released.
Erik Hanell, CEO of Stena Bulk, told Sweden’s TV4 channel on Friday it “has meant enormous pressure for us all, especially for the crew.”
In a telephone interview, Hannell said the ship seems to be in good condition and “hopefully it will be on duty within a week or so.”
“These ships cost about $20,000 a day, so it adds up to quite a lot,” he said. “Money is important of course, but the focus is on the crew.”
The tanker left the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas on Friday morning and was headed to Dubai, where the crew would receive medical checks and be debriefed.
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Noon
The head of the Swedish shipping firm that owns a British-flagged oil tanker held by Iran since July says the vessel and its crew have been released.
Erik Hanell, CEO of Stena Bulk said Tuesday the Stena Impero “has left the port of Bandar Abbas and is transiting to Dubai for the crew to disembark and receive medical checks and de-briefing.”
Hanell says that the families of crew members have been informed, and Stena Bulk was “currently making arrangements for the repatriation of its valued seafarers at the earliest possible opportunity.”
Friday’s statement came hours after Iran’s marine and port authority said the oil tanker has left Iranian territorial waters and was heading to international waters.
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10:40 a.m.
Iran’s marine and port authority is saying a British-flagged oil tanker held by Iran since July has left Iran.
The statement came Friday morning, around two hours after a ship-tracking website showed the Stena Impero began transmitting its location for the first time in weeks. The company that owns the ship said it was preparing to leave Iran.
The marine and port authority said on its website the vessel left Iranian waters at 8:30 a.m. (5 a.m. GMT) heading to international waters.
Iran seized the tanker in July in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which 20% of all oil passes. That came just weeks after authorities in Gibraltar, a British overseas territory, seized an Iranian oil tanker carrying some $130 million in crude oil. It was seized on suspicion of breaking European Union sanctions on Syria.
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8:30 a.m.
A ship-tracking website shows a British-flagged oil tanker held by Iran since July has transmitted its location for the first time in weeks.
MarineTraffic.com, citing satellite data, showed the Stena Impero just outside the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas Friday morning, where it had been held since being seized by Iran on July 19. There was no immediate comment from the ship’s owners or Iranian authorities.
The data showed the ship was stationary at 8:18 a.m. local time (4:48 a.m. GMT).
On Monday, a government spokesman in Iran said legal proceedings against the vessel had concluded.
Iran seized the tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which 20% of all oil passes.
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