Recording Provides Sounds from Takeover of ‘Stena Impero’

A maritime security company has released an audio recording of last Friday’s seizure by Iranian naval forces of a British-flagged tanker ship that had been transiting the Strait of Hormuz, through which about one-third of the global oil supply passes. In the recording, a British officer is heard warning approaching military vessels not to impede the Stena Impero‘s freedom of navigation guaranteed by international law. Thereafter, an Iranian tells the ship to shift course, adding: “You obey, you will be safe.” Tehran says its move was a response to Britain’s recent seizure off the coast of Gibraltar of an Iranian supertanker carrying some 2 million barrels of oil allegedly destined for Syria in violation of European Union sanctions. Meanwhile, the Stena Impero remains impounded with 23 individuals aboard at the port of Bandar Abbas. Iranian authorities have warned that the fate of the crew is dependent on its cooperation with an ongoing “investigation.” Tensions in the Gulf have spiked over the last few months, with the US accusing Tehran of orchestrating numerous attacks on tankers, as well as shooting down an American drone that Washington says was flying over international waters. The White House has also blamed the Islamic Republic for using its proxies to target US assets in Iraq as well as critical infrastructure inside Saudi Arabia.