Iran seizes to two oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, including a British-flagged vessel

Iran seized a British-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, according to multiple reports.

“[The Stena Impero]  was approached by unidentified small crafts and a helicopter during transit of the Strait of Hormuz while the vessel was in international waters,” Stena Bulk, the shipping company that owns the vessel, said in a statement. “We are presently unable to contact the vessel which is now heading north towards Iran.”

According to Fox News, the ship has a crew of 23 onboard.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard forces claim the ship was seized for “non-compliance with international maritime laws and regulations” and is being brought to an unnamed Iranian port, according to the Associated Press.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced earlier that its navy has captured a British-flagged tanker ‘Stena Impero’ in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has also seized a second tanker, the Liberian-flagged MV Mesdar, according to a US official told CNN.

“We are urgently seeking further information and assessing the situation following reports of an incident in the Gulf,” a U.K. government spokesperson told Fox News.

“This is the second time in just over a week the UK has been the target of escalatory violence by the Iranian regime,” National Security Council Spokesman Garrett Marquis said in a statement to Fox News. “The U.S. will continue to work with our allies and partners to defend our security and interests against Iran’s malign behavior.”

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