BP to continue to make shipments through Strait of Hormuz: chief officer

BP has not taken any of its oil tankers through there since July 10, he said.

The oil and gas company has no current plans to take any of its own vessels through the strait, Gilvary said, adding that BP is shipping oil out of the region using chartered tankers.

Relations between Iran and the UK soured after an Iran-operated oil tanker, Grace 1, was illegally detained by British Royal Marines in Gibraltar on July 4, on accusations that the tanker was carrying oil to Syria in possible violation of the European Union’s sanctions on the Arab country. Iran condemned the move as “piracy” and called for the immediate release of the tanker, stressing that the tanker was not headed to Syria.

A few days later, on July 19, Tehran later impounded a British-flagged ship, Stena Impero, in the Strait of Hormuz for failing to stop after hitting an Iranian fishing boat, a violation of international maritime rules.

Meanwhile, Iranian ambassador to London, Hamid Baeidinejad had said on Monday that it would be “Impossible to advance a quid pro quo or barter exchange of detained UK and Iranian ships”, adding “UK has illegally detained the ship carrying Iranian oil while the British ship is detained for violating some key safety/security regulations in Hormuz Strait.”

MNA/PR