In a statement on Saturday, Maja Kocijancic, spokesperson for the EU foreign policy chief expressed 'deep concern' over Iran's seizure of British oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz yesterday, adding "in an already tense situation, this development brings risks of further escalation and undermines ongoing work to find a way to resolve current tensions."
Kocijancic also urged "the immediate release of the remaining ship and its crew," and called for restraint to avoid further tensions.
She concluded "freedom of navigation must be respected at all times."
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said in a statement last night that it had captured a British oil tanker for violating international maritime law while crossing into the Strait of Hormuz earlier in the day.
The oil tanker has been transferred to Iranian Bandar Abbas port city to undergo the required legal proceedings.
KI