UK-Flagged Tanker Stena Impero Docks in Dubai After 10-Week Detention in Iran - Reports

The vessel recently left the port of Bandar Abbas where it was being held in custody, but, according to Tehran, it still faces charges of violating maritime rules and causing environmental damage.

British-flagged oil tanker the Stena Impero arrived to Dubai after two months of detention in Iran, Reuters reported on Saturday.

Seven of the Stena Impero's 23 crew members were released earlier in September and left the Islamic Republic, while the remaining sailors were told to stay on board so that the ship could leave the port.

The Stena Impero was detained by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the Strait of Hormuz on 19 July. The seizure came after Iranian oil tanker the Grace 1 (now known as the Adrian Darya 1) was detained by UK marines off the coast of Gibraltar, as London claimed that the vessel was transporting crude oil to Syria in breach of EU sanctions imposed on Damascus.

An Iranian flag flutters on board the Adrian Darya oil tanker, formerly known as Grace 1, off the coast of Gibraltar on August 18, 2019

© AFP 2023 / Johnny BUGEJA

After several weeks, the Grace 1 was released by Gibraltarian authorities, who stated that there is not a sufficient reason to hold it, despite a US request to continue the seizure and the issuance of a US warrant to detain the ship.

During the row, both Tehran and London accused each other of "piracy" and various illegal activities. The standoff also came as the US established a maritime coalition in order to secure transit in the Persian Gulf, a move that has been joined by Britain, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Australia, and the UAE.