Iran Press/ Iran news: The open session of the Iranian parliament (Majlis) began on Sunday morning with more than 160 MPs in a statement thanked the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) for the seizure of a British oil tanker threatening the safety of shipping in the Strait of Hormoz.
In a statement signed on Sunday, the Iranian lawmakers also urged the government to approve a motion to charge a toll to ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
"IRGC responded to British act of piracy"
The Speaker of the Majlis, Ali Larijani poignantly commented: "The British had committed an act of piracy, they had stolen our oil tanker, and the IRGC gave a fitting response to that theft."
According to Iran Press, the British tanker, 'Stena Impero' was impounded on 19 July by the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) near the Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC), Brigadier General Ramezan Sharif confirmed the seized British tanker tried to enter the Strait of Hormuz with its communications transponders switched off -- contrary to maritime rules and regulations.
He said on Saturday that there was a real danger the oil tanker might have collided with ships and tankers moving in the opposite direction.
According to the IRGC spokesman, Iran had no choice but to impound the tanker, for safety reasons, and also because the oil tanker failed to respond to repeated warnings and messages sent to it by the IRGC navy.
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