Iran releases seized British tanker

Iran on Friday released a British-sailed oil tanker that it had held since July. 

The Stena Impero left Iran on Friday morning, the country’s marine and port authority said, according to The Associated Press. The company that owns the ship told the AP that it was heading toward the United Arab Emirates. 

The leader of Swedish shipping company Stena Bulk, which owns the Stena Impero, told the AP that it “has been a long wait” for the release of the tanker and its crew.{mosads}

President and CEO Erik Hanell said that the seizure “has meant an enormous pressure for us all, especially for the crew.”

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards detained the ship on July 19 in the Strait of Hormuz. It had 23 crew members. 

Stena Bulk’s website also said that the ship had been released, linking to the AP’s article. 

The tanker was going toward Dubai where the crew would get off for medical checkups, the news outlet reported. 

Hanell told Swedish TV that the Stena Impero looked like it was in good condition and “hopefully it will be on duty within a week or so.” 

Iran cited marine violations in the seizure, which was two weeks after the United Kingdom began holding an Iranian tanker near Gibraltar. The Iranian vessel was released in August.