On Saturday 20 July, the European External Action Service spokeswoman urged Iran to immediately release the British ship arrested the day before for "non-compliance with the International Maritime Code" by Iranian Revolutionary Guards.
The British tanker Stena Impero, whose owner is Swedish, has 23 crew members. Following the seizure, the United Kingdom summoned the Iranian person in charge to London and called on British ships to avoid this strategic maritime passage.
"We urge the immediate release of the remaining ship and its crew, and call for restraint to avoid further tensions", the spokeswoman said in a statement.
According to her, the seizure of two vessels - the Liberian flag vessel has been released - is "of deep concern". "In an already tense situation, this development brings risks of further escalation and undermines ongoing work to find a way to resolve current tensions", she said. The EEAS spokesperson also recalled that freedom of navigation must be respected at all times.
This arrest was allegedly in retaliation for the arrest, on 4 July, of an Iranian tanker in the Strait of Gibraltar, suspected of wanting to deliver oil to Syria, which is subject to an embargo. On 19 July, a few hours before the incident in the Strait of Hormuz, the Supreme Court of Gibraltar decided to extend the detention of this ship for a further 30 days. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)