UK seizes Iranian oil vessel illegally carrying crude oil to Syria; Iran vows tit-for-tat response in retaliation

Tehran: The UK Navy seized the Iranian oil tanker bound for Syria. The authorities accused Iran of providing oil to Syria, which it stated violated the European Union (EU) sanctions, and thus, seized the ship. However, enraged by the move, Iran has vowed to respond with a tit-for-tat action against the UK. We will capture a UK oil tanker passing through the Persian Gulf as well,” threatened Iran. Last week, the UK sent a unit of the Royal Marines in the region.

Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located in the southern tip of Spain. On Thursday night, Iran’s Grace 1 oil tanker was passing through Gibraltar’s waters which were bound for Syria. Before the vessel could enter the Mediterranean Sea, the Royal Marines had stormed Grace 1. Iran expressed outrage over the move and summoned the British ambassador in Tehran. The Islamic Republic also termed the seizure ‘illegal’ and demanded an explanation for it. Furthermore, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said the move amounted to piracy.

Nevertheless, Mohsen Rezai, the former senior official of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), issued instructions for immediate action on a UK oil tanker. If the UK does not release the Iranian ship, it becomes Iran’s responsibility to confine UK’s oil tanker, Razai warned. “In the past 24 years, Iran has not invaded another nation. At the same time, it doesn’t leave the chance of delivering a befitting reply to its attackers either,” stated Rezai.

Tensions sharply escalated in the region after six oil tankers were attacked in the last few weeks. The US and Saudi Arabia have alleged Iran’s IRGC, and its proxies were responsible for the attacks. Considering the situation, the US deployed warships, bombers and stealth fighters in the Persian Gulf.

On the other hand, even the UK sent out its marines in the region to protect its oil tankers. In the wake of the Gibraltar incident, the US and the UK would respond to any aggression from Iran in the Persian Gulf, thereby, causing tensions to soar, the UK media claim.

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