Iran ignored mounting European appeals on Saturday to release a British-flagged tanker as London denounced a "dangerous move" and summoned a senior diplomat of the Islamic republic. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it seized the Stena Impero on Friday for breaking "international maritime rules" in the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for about a third of the world's sea-borne oil.
The oil tanker was impounded off Bandar Abbas port for allegedly failing to respond to distress calls and turning off its transponder after colliding with a fishing vessel, authorities said, adding an investigation had been launched. It was one of two ships Britain said Iran seized in the Gulf, but the UK owner of the Liberian-flagged Mesdar said it was released after being boarded by armed personnel. That came hours after a court in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar said it would extend by 30 days the detention of an Iranian tanker seized by British authorities in the Mediterranean two weeks ago on allegations of breaching EU sanctions against Syria.
In London, the Foreign Office said Saturday it had summoned Iran's charge d'affaires. British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the seizure of the ship showed "worrying signs Iran may be choosing a dangerous path of illegal and destabilising behaviour". Britain's emergencies commitee met on Friday to discuss the affair and was to meet again Saturday.
Hunt said he had spoken to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif "and expressed extreme disappointment that having assured me last Sat(urday) Iran wanted to de-escalate situation they have behaved in the opposite way". Germany and France urged Iran to release the tanker, whose seizure Berlin called a "dangerous further aggravation of an already tense situation". The European Union voiced "deep concern".
US President Donald Trump said Friday's incident "only goes to show what I'm saying about Iran: trouble. Nothing but trouble." But Iran remained defiant. Zarif said Iran's actions were taken to "uphold" international maritime rules. "It is IRAN that guarantees the security of the Persian Gulf & the Strait of Hormuz. UK must cease being an accessory to EconomicTerrorism of the US," he tweeted.