Iran's seizure of a British oil tanker was a response to Great Britain's role in the previous seizure of an Iranian tanker, senior Iranian officials said today.
In the newly published footage of the seizure of the British tanker "Stena Impero", Iranian commandos in black phantoms and military uniforms can be seen descending from a helicopter onto the ship in the Strait of Hormuz.
The seizure of the British ship caused condemnation from Great Britain and its European allies, who continue to call for a de-escalation of tensions in the strategically important passage in the Persian Gulf area.
British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said London's response would be "carefully considered but strong".
In messages on Twitter today, Hunt wrote that he spoke with the head of Iranian diplomacy, Mohammad Javad Zarif, and expressed extreme disappointment that the minister assured him that Iran wanted to de-escalate the situation, but "behaves in the opposite way."
Hunt today rejected Iran's attempt to link the seizure of the Stena Impero to the July 4 incident when the British navy helped Gibraltar seize an Iranian oil tanker.
He said that the seizure of the Iranian tanker was legal, as there was a suspicion that the ship intended to violate EU sanctions related to the ban on oil deliveries to Syria.
In contrast, Hunt said, Tehran had no legal justification to take control of the Stena Impero while it was in Omani waters and force it into Iranian territory.
Iran's point of view is different.
Zarif took to Twitter today to characterize the July 4 seizure of an Iranian tanker as "piracy," while several Iranian officials described Friday's seizure of a British tanker as a legal reciprocation.
On Friday evening, the forces of the Revolutionary Guard of Iran intercepted the tanker "Stena Impero", which sailed under the British flag, during its transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
The ship was seized with 23 crew members, none of whom were British citizens.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard released a video of the seizure of the ship captured by at least two cameras.
Hunt also said that the seizure of that ship shows worrying signs that Iran could choose a dangerous path of destabilization.
The free flow of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is of great international importance as it transports a fifth of the oil exported from the Middle East to countries around the world.
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow passage between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
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