The Minister of State for External Affairs, V Muraleedharan, on Thursday 25 July said that the 18 Indian crew members, on board the British Oil Tanker "Stena Impero" are safe and the ministry will continue to push for their early release.
“Received an update on ‘Stena Impero’. Our Embassy availed consular access today evening. All 18 Indian crew members on board are safe and doing fine. Will continue to push for their early release.”V Muraleedharan, MoS, Ministry of External Affairs
Earlier, on 21 July, the head of the Ports and Maritime Organisation of Iran told Iranian state TV that all 23 crew members of the seized British oil tanker "Stena Impero" are "safe and in good health”.
According to a media report, 18 Indian nationals are among the 23 crew members of the British-flagged oil tanker seized by Iran amid fresh escalation of tensions in the Gulf region.
WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR
Despite being escorted by a British warship, the oil tanker was stopped on Friday by Iran and was led to the coastal harbour for a legal investigation, Xinhua news agency quoted Iran's IRNA news agency as saying.
"There are 18 Indians and five crew members from Russia, Philipines, Latvia and other countries on board of Stena Impero. The captain is Indian, but the tanker is UK-flagged," the news agency quoted Allahmorad Afifipour, director general of Ports and Maritime Affairs of Hormuzgan province, as saying.
WHAT IS INDIA SAYING?
India on Saturday, 20 July, said it was in touch with Iran to secure the release of Indians on board the tanker.
"We are ascertaining further details on the incident. Our Mission is in touch with the Government of Iran to secure the early release and repatriation of Indian nationals," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in response to a question on the detention of Indian crew members along with the oil tanker Stena Impero by Iranian authorities.
In a letter to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan asked the ministry to share the details of the persons aboard the ship so that their families could be helped.
"I request that all possible efforts to ensure the safety of the crew be made and the relevant details of persons may be shared with the state government so that their family members can be contacted and we can be of help in their hour of crisis," Vijayan said in the letter
WHAT IS IRAN SAYING?
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) seized the British oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz for what it called "failing to respect the international maritime rules while passing through the strait."
The spokesman for the IRGC has condemned the British oil tanker's action on Saturday, saying there was a risk of collision because of the tanker's wrong direction, adding that Iran is acting legally and within the bounds of its national sovereignty in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.
WHAT IS UK SAYING?
British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said on Saturday via Twitter that he had spoken to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and "expressed extreme disappointment" and added that while the Iranian diplomat had assured him Iran wanted to de-escalate the situation, "they have behaved in the opposite way."
"Our reaction will be considered but robust," said the British official.
Hunt's words was echoed by British Defence Minister Tobias Ellwood on Sunday, who said that his country is looking into a series of options to respond to Iran's seizure of the British tanker.
"Our first and most important responsibility is to make sure that we get a solution to the issue to do with the current ship, make sure other British-flagged ships are safe to operate in these waters and then look at the wider picture," Ellwood was quoted by Sky News as saying.
Iran's Ambassador to Britain Hamid Baeidinejad on Sunday tweeted that London should contain those "domestic political forces" which he said wanted to escalate tension between the two countries well beyond the issue of ships.
"Iran, however, is firm and ready for different scenarios," he added.
WHAT IS THE VESSEL OWNER SAYING?
Stena Bulk, a Swedish company which owns the vessel, said they have been unable to contact the ship, which was seized in the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway in the region.
“Soon after the vessel was approached by unidentified small naval craft and a helicopter during her transit of the Strait of Hormuz in international waters...the vessel suddenly deviated from her passage to Jubail and headed north towards Iran,” the company said in statement.
The vessel was in full compliance with all navigation and international regulations, it said.
THE BIG PICTURE
In early July, British marines and Gibraltar police seized an Iranian tanker off the Southern coast of the Iberian Peninsula.
Gibraltar claimed that the ship was transporting crude oil to Syria "in violation" of the EU sanctions placed on Damascus, escalating tensions in the Gulf.
(With inputs from PTI,IANS)
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