18 Indian Nationals among 23 Crew Members of the British Oil Tanker Seized by Iran

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Guwahati, July 20, 2019:

The British-flagged oil tanker seized by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz to Bandar Abbas port has been taken to Bander Abbas, along with 23 crew members for investigation. Among these 23 crew members, 18 are Indian nationals.

As per reports, the crew will remain on board until the probe is over while an investigation into the vessel's conduct is carried out.

The Stena Impero was in an accident with an Iranian fishing boat whose distress call it ignored.

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The tanker's operator, Stena Bulk on Friday said that the ship had been 'in full compliance with all navigation and international regulations', but was no longer under the crew's control and could not be contacted.

Britain's Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt reports the vessel had been heading to a port in Saudi Arabia and suddenly changed course after passing through the strait at the mouth of the Gulf, through which a fifth of the world's oil supplies pass.

Hunt had warned of serious consequences if the Stena Impero's situation was not resolved quickly.

U.S. President Donald Trump said he would talk to Britain about seizure, which drove oil prices up above $62 a barrel.

Reportedly, the United States has blamed Iran for a series of attacks since the month of May on shipping around the Strait of Hormuz. However, Tehran rejects the allegations.