British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the UK was looking at a “diplomatic way” to resolve the situation after Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) captured a British oil tanker for breaching international maritime law while crossing the Strait of Hormuz.

“I have spoken to Secretary of State Pompeo in the US earlier this evening about the situation. I’ve tried to speak to Foreign Minister Zarif of Iran, but I understand that he is on a plane, so I will speak to him as soon as I can,” Hunt addressed the media after attending a meeting of the UK government’s emergency committee Cobra on Friday night.

“We’re not looking at military options, we’re looking at a diplomatic way to resolve this situation. But we are very clear that it must be resolved,” he added, CNN reported.

The IRGC’s Public Relations Department said in a statement on Friday that the vessel named “Stena Impero” had been impounded “at the request of Hormozgan Ports and Maritime Organization when passing through the Strait of Hormuz, for failing to respect international maritime rules.”

The oil tanker was transferred to the coast to undergo the required legal proceedings, the statement added.

Source: Agencies