Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said he expected the British-flagged oil tanker Stena Impero, seized by Iran in July, to be released after the completion of legal procedures in his country.
“The tanker is going through the final court proceedings,” Rouhani said at a news conference in New York during the United Nations’ annual gathering of world leaders. "I predict that it will be released," Reuters cited him as saying.
The ship’s owner, Stena Bulk of Sweden, said the vessel was still being held in Iran despite the lifting of a detention order on the tanker by Tehran.
Iranian forces seized the Stena Impero on July 19 for alleged marine violations two weeks after British marines detained an Iranian tanker off Gibraltar. The Iranian vessel was released in August.
Iran freed seven of the ship’s 23 crew members earlier this month. Stena Bulk has tried to get the rest out as well, in part by offering a crew exchange.
