The detention of the British-flagged vessel by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard was in “clear violation of international law,” the UK Chamber of Shipping said as it maintained that the ship was in Omani waters when it was seized.

“The [Swedish-owned and British-flagged tanker] Stena Impero was outside Iranian waters and legitimately carrying out its business at the time of its seizure,” chamber CEO Bob Sanguinetti told journalists. He also stated that Tehran’s actions cannot be compared to the UK’s own seizure of a vessel carrying Iranian oil in the Strait of Gibraltar on July 4, as the latter was done “under international law.”