The Iranian President's chief of staff, Mahmoud Vaezi, has said Britain's recent seizure of an Iranian oil tanker is an act of piracy, a lawless act which should be regarded as theft.  

Iran Press/Iran news: Mahmoud Vaezi said the UK's seizure of the Iranian oil tanker was against international law, and could negatively impact ties between Tehran and London.

He also said Iran is seeking to solve the problem through diplomatic and political ways, Iran Press reported. 

In the early hours of Thursday morning, 4 July, British Royal Marines in Gibraltar stormed an Iranian-operated 300,000-tonne Grace 1 supertanker and detained it, accusing it of shipping oil to Syria in possible violation of European Union’s sanctions against Damascus.

Later on that same day, the Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned the UK ambassador to Tehran Rob Macaire an handed him a strongly-worded official protest for the (illegal) seizure of the oil tanker in Gibraltar. 101/211/215

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