This archive report was first published on 23 July 2019.
Published on July 23, 2019, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif emphasized that Iran does not seek confrontation with the UK, following the seizure of a UK-flagged tanker in the Gulf.
Speaking in Managua, Nicaragua, Zarif stated that Iran wants normal relations based on mutual respect with the UK, as Boris Johnson prepares to take over as Prime Minister.
The UK has demanded the release of the seized tanker, which was seized on July 4, 2019, in the Gulf. This move came two weeks after British authorities seized an Iranian tanker off Gibraltar on suspicion of breaching sanctions against Syria.
Zarif claimed that the move by Britain was orchestrated by the United States, whose President Donald Trump had previously blasted Iran as the world's top 'state of terror.'
'It was clear from the very beginning that the United Kingdom was doing the bidding for the Trump administration,' Zarif said.
He also described the seizure of the Iranian tanker as 'piracy' and 'a violation of international law.'
British Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt had previously stated that London wanted to 'de-escalate' tensions with Iran but insisted that the seized tanker was carrying oil to Syria in breach of EU sanctions.
Zarif described these allegations as 'unfounded' and accused the British of acting 'holier than the Pope' in applying rules the 'EU itself would not do.'
