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Iran: UK-flagged ship is ‘free to leave’ Persian Gulf

The development comes ahead of a meeting between British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani at the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

The British vessel “Stena Impero” was seized by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on July 19, 2019. Credit: Screenshot.
The British vessel “Stena Impero” was seized by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on July 19, 2019. Credit: Screenshot.

A U.K.-flagged ship seized in July is “free to leave,” said Iranian officials on Monday.

Erik Hanell, president and CEO of Stena Bulk, which operates the Stena Impero, told CNN on Monday that the ship is still in the port of Bandar Abbas in the Persian Gulf, where it was captured by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

“We have no further information about it,” he said.

The development comes ahead of a meeting between British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani at the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

On Sunday, Johnson accused Iran for the Sept. 14 drone and cruise missile strike against the world’s top-producing oil facilities in Saudi Arabia.

Iran has denied committing the attacks against Saudi Arabia.

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