European powers urged Iran on Saturday to release a British-flagged tanker it seized in the Strait of Hormuz in what Britain called a "dangerous" move, warning its ships to avoid the strategic waterway. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it seized the Stena Impero Friday for breaking "international maritime rules" in the strait, a chokepoint for around a third of the world's sea-borne oil.
The 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. Britain said Iran had seized two ships in the Gulf, but the British owner of the Liberian-flagged Mesdar said it had been released after being temporarily boarded by armed personnel.
That came hours after a court in Gibraltar said it would extend by 30 days the detention of an Iranian tanker seized by British authorities two weeks ago on allegations of breaching EU sanctions against Syria. British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said Friday's incident showed "worrying signs Iran may be choosing a dangerous path of illegal and destabilising behaviour".
His government advised British ships to avoid the Strait of Hormuz for "an interim period". "We remain deeply concerned about Iran's unacceptable actions which represent a clear challenge to international freedom of navigation," a spokeswoman said after an overnight meeting of Britain's COBRA emergencies committee. Germany and France urged Iran to release the tanker, whose seizure Berlin called a "dangerous further aggravation of an already tense situation".
The Guards also said Thursday they had seized another "foreign tanker" and its crew days earlier for allegedly smuggling fuel, without giving further details.
Tensions in the Gulf have soared since May, with US President Donald Trump calling off air strikes against Iran at the last minute in June after the Islamic republic downed a US drone.