Iran releases some Stena Impero crew members

The Iranian authorities released some of the crew members of a Swedish-owned, British-flagged tanker seized in the Strait of Hormuz in July, Sweden’s Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom said.

"Noting with relief the release of some of the crew members of Swedish owned and UK flagged Stena Impero. Looking forward to the release of the entire crew," the Swedish  foreign minister wrote on Twitter.

She recalled that this was one topic in her frank discussions with Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. "Dialogue is a powerful diplomatic tool," Wallstrom stressed.

Earlier, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said that Iran will free on humanitarian grounds seven of the 23 crew members.