Bahrain says it “strongly condemns” Iran’s seizure of a British flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, the National Post reported.
The kingdom’s foreign ministry has asked Iran to immediately release the vessel, urging the country to stop its “irresponsible acts” involving the seizure.
Following the statement of Bahrain’s foreign ministry, Khaleej Times reported that Saudi Arabia’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir also condemns Iran for the “unacceptable” behaviour, and urged the international community to take action.
“Any attack on the freedom of navigation is a violation of international law,” he said in a Twitter post.
Iran on Friday said it captured Britain’s Stena Impero tanker this month, in response to Britain’s seizure of an Iranian vessel. The British naval forces seized the tanker earlier this month on suspicion of oil smuggling, a breach to European Union sanctions.
Stena Impero was heading to a port in Saudi Arabia when it suddenly changed course after passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
One of the seamen in the British vessel is a Filipino. The Department of Foreign Affairs is currently seeking the Iranian government to secure his safety. The Philippines is one of the world’s largest providers of shipping manpower in the world, with Filipino seamen comprising 20 percent of the world’s 1.2 million sailors.
