Stena Impero Crew Members Feel Well, Have Consular Access - Iranian Foreign Ministry

NUR-SULTAN (Sputnik) - The crew of the UK-flagged Stena Impero oil tanker, which was seized by Iran last month, is in good health and has consular access, Ali Asghar Khaji, a special assistant for political affairs to the Iranian foreign minister, said.

"The crew feels good. They are not detained, they are free. They have been granted consular access", Asghar Khaji said while answering a question from Sputnik.

The official added that he had not discussed the situation with the Russian delegation at the Astana peace talks on Syria, which are currently in progress in the Kazakh capital of Nur-Sultan.

Earlier in July, the 23-person crew comprising Indian, Russian, Latvian and Filipino nationals was stranded on the ship since it was seized in the Strait of Hormuz over what Iran described as a breach of international maritime regulations.

The Sterna Impero incident that took place on 19 July came two weeks after Iran's own Grace 1 oil tanker had been seized by UK marines over an alleged breach of the European Union's sanctions against Syria.