Iran elaborates legal reasons behind the seizure of a British tanker

Tabnak – As tensions between Iran and the UK over the seizure of a British oil tanker by the IRGC have been only on the rise over the past several days, the Islamic Republic has sent a letter to the UN, explaining the legal grounds for the recent move.

In the letter on Wednesday, Iran told the United Nations Security Council that the British tanker "Stena Impero" collided with a small fishing boat on July 19, and badly injured its crew -- some of whom remain in critical condition.

Afterwards, instead of responding to distress calls from the boat and radio communications from Iranian authorities, the British tanker turned off its transponder and "dangerously" changed course in the direction of incoming ships, the letter read.

That is when, according to the letter, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) intervened and took the ship and its crew into custody.

Tehran asserted in the letter that the seizure, which took place in accordance with international regulations, was necessary for protecting the safety and the order of maritime navigation at the Strait of Hormuz strategic choke point.

According to the letter, Iranian judicial authorities had ordered local officials to investigate the tanker's violations, including its environmental damage as well as the extent of the damage it has done to the fishing boat and its crew.

The letter also rejected claims by the UK government in a recent letter to the UNSC, where it had claimed the IRGC forces acted illegally by approaching the Stena Impero in " Omani territorial waters."

Iran's permanent mission at the UN said in its letter that everything it did was aimed at upholding international law and ensuring secure navigation in the Persian Gulf.

Meanwhile, an international lawyer has described the seizure of a British oil tanker by Iran as legal, noting that the UK’s “Stena Impero” was captured for violating the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS), United Nations Convention for the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and provisions of Innocent Passage.

“The ‘Stena Impero’ oil tanker: A. Violated the TRAFFIC SEPARATION SCHEME or TSS, a maritime traffic-management route-system ruled by the International Maritime Organization or IMO, while in the Strait of Hormuz in Iranian territorial waters. B. Violated the UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON THE LAW OF THE SEA (UNCLOS), also called the Law of the Sea Convention or the Law of the Sea treaty, while in the Strait of Hormuz in Iranian territorial waters.C. Violated the ... provisions of Innocent Passage,” Alfred Lambremont Webre told Tasnim News Agency.

It should be noted that tensions between Iran and the UK began earlier this month, when British naval forces seized an Iranian oil tanker in Gibraltar under the pretext that it was carrying oil to Syria in violation of European Union sanctions against the Arab country. Iran has denied the claim.