Analysis by PMOI/MEK
Iran, July 23, 2019 – Despite Iranian regime’s claims that the British “Steno Impero” tanker was seized for breaching international maritime navigation laws, Iranian authorities admitted that the seizure of this tanker was in retaliation to the seizure of the regime’s "Grace 1" supertanker while shipping oil to Syria.
“The UK committed sea piracy and the Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) responded,” Majlis (parliament) speaker Ali Larijani said.
In a declaration, more than 160 Majlis members expressed their support for the IRGC’s piracy.
In addition, Hossain Shariatmadari, representative Iranian regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in the state-run newspaper Keyhan, also weighed in on this issue. “We should declare that we have seized the British tanker in retaliation to the seizure of our supertanker in Gibraltar by the UK, not for maritime violations. While the UK has not released our supertanker, we will continue to hold their tankers or any other floating object in the region,” he threatened.
