british tanker pacific voyager
© GettyThe British registered tanker appeared to veer off course, as it slowed to a stop and began drifting south in the Persian Gulf
A British registered tanker which began drifting off the coast of Iran caused a major scare this morning, with fears that Iranian forces had boarded the vessel.

The Pacific Voyager tanker was en-route from Singapore to Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia, when it slowed down and stopped around 6am today.

Iranian officials denied that they had boarded the boat.

Earlier in the week, Royal Marines Commandos boarded the Panamanian-flagged Grace 1, as it passed by Gibraltar. The supertanker, which is owned by Iran, is suspected of carrying crude oil to Syria in breach of EU sanctions.


Comment: It's obvious who the aggressor is here; Iranian forces did not even board the UK's Pacific Voyager whereas British forces have detained Iran's Grace 1.


Mohsen Rezaee, secretary of Iran's Expediency Discernment Council and a commander in the Revolutionary Guards, said it was Iran's 'duty' to retaliate following the interception of the Grace 1 tanker by Royal Marines and Gibraltar police on Thursday.

The MOD report that they were followed on board shortly by Gibraltar police and the ship was handed over to them to continue with further checks and procedures.

The operation went off without a hitch and commandos were able to board the vessel quickly.

The seizure was made because of evidence it was heading to Syria in breach of EU sanctions.

Royal Marines
© MODA handout picture provided by the British Ministry of Defence (MOD) showing British Royal Marines from 42 Commando who took part in the seizure the Panama registered Grace 1, Iranian oil tanker in the Gibraltar Strait, 04 July 2019.
Rezaee, who led the IRGC during the 1984 'Tanker War' when Iraq bombed Iranian tankers in the Gulf, tweeted: 'The Islamic Revolution was never an initiator of tension during its 40-year-old history, however, it has not hesitated to respond to bullies.

'If UK doesn't return the Iranian tanker, the duty of responsible [Iranian] bodies is to seize a British oil tanker in a retaliatory measure.'

The Pacific Voyager's home port is Douglas on the Isle of Man.

It passed through the 22-mile wide Straight of Hormuz last night and into Iranian territorial waters.

Rezaei
© Farzaneh Khademian/UPI/ABACAPRESS. COMIranian former chief of the Revolutionary Guards Mohsen Rezaei attends a press conference after registering his candidacy for the upcoming presidential election at the interior ministry in Tehran, Iran, on May 10, 2013.
Rezaei
Mohsen Rezaei said Iran was not afraid to respond to ‘bullies’
At around 6am, the tanker appeared to veer off course, as it slowed to a stop and began drifting south in the Persian Gulf.

However, a United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations official said the vessel was 'safe and well' and had been in direct contact with the UKMTO. The UKMTO is responsible for coordinating shipping in the Gulf. According to the official, the tanker had stopped so it could 'adjust its arrival time at the next port'.

Iran demanded on July 5, 2019 that Britain immediately release an oil tanker it has detained in Gibraltar, accusing it of acting at the bidding of the United States.

Authorities in Gibraltar, a British overseas territory on Spain's southern tip at the western entrance to the Mediterranean, said they suspected the tanker was carrying crude to Syria in violation of EU sanctions.

It resumed course around noon. Iran dismissed reports that the ship had been seized by its Revolutionary Guard forces. On Saturday, an Iranian cleric said Britain should be 'scared' about Tehran's possible retaliation for the seizure of the Grace 1, the Fars semi-official news agency reported.

'I am openly saying that Britain should be scared of Iran's retaliatory measures over the illegal seizure of the Iranian oil tanker,' said Mohammad Ali Mousavi Jazayeri, a member of the Assembly of Experts clerical body.