UK's 'illegal' seizure of Iranian oil tanker praised by Bolton

US National Security Adviser John Bolton has hailed Britain's "illegal" seizure of an Iranian oil tanker in the Strait of Gibraltar.

British Royal Marines stationed in Gibraltar seized the supertanker on Thursday accusing it of carrying crude oil to Syria in violation of European Union (EU) sanctions against the Arab country. 

Spain does not recognize the waters around Gibraltar as British.

"Excellent news: UK has detained the supertanker Grace I laden with Iranian oil bound for Syria in violation of EU sanctions," Bolton tweeted on Wednesday. 

Excellent news: UK has detained the supertanker Grace I laden with Iranian oil bound for Syria in violation of EU sanctions. America & our allies will continue to prevent regimes in Tehran & Damascus from profiting off this illicit trade.

— John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) July 4, 2019

"America & our allies will continue to prevent regimes in Tehran & Damascus from profiting off this illicit trade," he claimed.

Iran condemns 'illegal' tanker seizure

Iran on Thursday condemned the British forces seizure of the tanker, summoning Britain’s ambassador to the country.

PressTV-Iran summons UK envoy after ‘illegal’ tanker seizure

Iran’s Foreign Ministry summons Britain’s ambassador to the country after British forces seize an Iranian oil tanker in the Strait of Gibraltar.

"We declared to the ambassador that this move amounts to strange unconventionality, because the sanctions that they have announced are not based on the Security Council [resolutions],” Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Moussavi said in an interview with the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB)’s News Network. 

"Iran does not accept this measure (seizure of the tanker)," Moussavi added. 

The Iranian official further stated that the Spanish Foreign Ministry has confirmed that the move was made at the request of the US and that the seizure amounted to “implementation of a type of extraterritorial sanctions despite the fact that the European Union has invariably been against such bans.”

Experts believe that the measure taken by the British government in seizing the Syria-bound Iranian tanker is illegal and can have serious consequences for the government in London.

Since Iran's tanker was carrying fuel and oil to Syrian people for solely humanitarian purposes, the measure taken by the British government is not only illegal, but also inhumane.

Iran and Syria enjoy vast commercial and trade ties and under the international law, Britain has no right to interfere in their relations.

The US has avowed an intention to reduce Iran’s oil exports to “zero” as part of the sanctions that it reinstated after leaving a multilateral nuclear deal with Iran last year. Both Washington’s withdrawal from the deal and its reintroduction of the sanctions came while the accord has been ratified in the form of the United Nations Security Resolution 2231.

Grace 1 crude oil tanker built in 1997 by Hyundai currently sailing under the flag of Panama. (File Photo)

Bolton's warmongering 

Bolton has made several anti-Iran remarks, aimed at discrediting the Islamic Republic.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has previously pointed to the belligerence in Bolton's remarks regarding Iran.

Zarif: World catching on to Bolton’s chronic warmongering

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif highlights again how US National Security Advisor John Bolton has been feverishly trying to push Washington towards war with Iran.

“Today, the world's catching on to Amb. John Bolton’s chronic warmongering,” Zarif tweeted on April 30.

Iran's top diplomat cited numerous remarks by Bolton in US media, and elsewhere, exemplifying his decades-long belligerency.