"Many Photos" - Britain sends mediator to Iran to negotiate release of Stena Impero

The crew of British-flagged tanker Stena Impero are 'safe', it was revealed today, after the ship's master made contact with its parent company. 

Swedish firm Stena Bulk, which owns the tanker, confirmed it had spoken to the master today and that everyone was safe with good cooperation with the Iranian personnel onboard'.

The ship was captured in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday and its 23-strong crew have been held on board by the Revolutionary Guard.

Meanwhile Britain has sent a mediator to Iran to try to negotiate the release of the ship and her crew, according to the supreme leader's office, following months of rising tensions in the Gulf.

And today a British-flagged vessel has passed through the Strait of Hormuz in the first such passage made by a UK ship since the seizure of the Impero.  

MailOnline has contacted the Foreign Office for comment. 

Britain has sent a mediator to Iran to negotiate the release of the Stena Impero and her 23 crew after the tanker was seized by the Revolutionary Guard last week. Pictured here are seven of the crew in footage released in Iran earlier this week

Iran's state-affiliated Fars news agency also released this image of the crew huddled together on the floor with their shoes taken off

The Stena Impero, which is Swedish owned, was taken in apparent retaliation after Britain seized Iranian tanker Grace 1 near Gibraltar earlier this month, with Iran claiming the US ordered the UK to get involved

Aerial photos of the British-flagged oil tanker Stena Impero, which was  seized by Iran's Revolutionary Guard last week

Stena Bulk president and CEO Erik Hanell said: 'We do of course appreciate this step of development and that this is a first sign that we will soon see more positive progress from the Iranian authorities.' 

The move by Iran appears to be retaliation for Britain seizing one of its own Grace 1 tanker near Gibraltar earlier this month after it was suspected of smuggling oil to Syria, in breach of EU sanctions.

Iran claims the US asked Britain's to seize Grace 1, further weakening relations between the two countries following President Trump's decision last year to tear up a nuclear deal between the two signed by predecessor Barack Obama. 

Iranian hardliners have repeatedly threatened to seize British shipping in retaliation for what they say is 'piracy' and Britain has already 'fended off' Iranian ships that tried to block a British tanker earlier in July.  

Earlier this week footage was released of seven the Impero's crew wearing red jumpsuits and sitting around a table, in what was described as a 'taunt' from Iran.

Another video was released of the country's flag being raised over the vessel and the Islamic call to prayer being played through its speakers. 

The Stena Impero was surrounded by Iranian Revolutionary Guard forces at 4pm and ordered to head north last Friday. This map shows how events unfolded

Britain only has the Type 23 frigate HMS Montrose in the region plus four mine hunters, while the US as its Fifth Fleet based in Bahrain - which includes one aircraft carrier, one missile cruiser, five destroyers, two amphibious vessels and two or three submarines 

A separate film showed the crew laughing while standing around a coffee machine, and the ship's cooks preparing food in an apparent attempt to show they are being treated well.  

Pictures released by the semi-official Fars news agency earlier in the day show some of the crew - which includes 18 Indians, three Russians a Latvian and a Filipino - huddled cross-legged on the floor. 

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt - who may lose that job in a matter of hours when Boris Johnson picks his new cabinet - suggested a 'Europe-led maritime protection mission' to counter Iran's threats amid a spiralling Middle East crisis. 

Iran warned that Mr Hunt's plan would cause 'insecurity' and warned incoming PM Mr Johnson to stay out of Iranian waters. 

What does it mean for a ship to sail under a country's flag?

While the Stena Impero is a British-flagged vessel, it is owned by Swedish shipping firm Stena AB - which is headquartered in Glasgow.  

Being 'British-flagged' means the vessel is registered in the UK and is covered by the maritime laws of that country.

A vessel does not have to have any physical connection to the country in which it is registered and merely has to have an application accepted by that country's shipping authorities.

A ship can only fly one flag at a time, but can change flags at any point.  

As a result, some owners seek a so-called 'flag of convenience' which they believe will offer benefits. 

Panama and the Marshall Islands are well-known for offering easy registrations and other benefits for those registering there, in the hopes of attracting business.

As a result, Panama has the largest ship register in the world, with the Marshall Islands second in the 2018 list. 

Meanwhile, Europhiles in France and Belgium seized on the opportunity to mock Britain's sudden enthusiasm for European co-operation - just as the UK government battles to get Brexit over the line.  

Britain has warned its ships to avoid the Straits of Hormuz, a chokepoint for about a third of the world's sea-borne oil.  

Maritime publication Lloyd's List identified the ship that crossed the Strait today as the BW Elm. 

It reported that the Royal Navy warship HMS Montrose closely shadowed the vessel, but did not provide a direct escort.

Data from the tracking site Marine Traffic showed the commercial ship arrived at a port in Qatar early on Wednesday after transiting the strait.

The ship's owner BW LPG declined to comment on specifics, but said the company 'is grateful for the UK and international community for their naval presence' providing security to ships in the area.

Meanwhile, questions have also been raised about the size of the Royal Navy and its fitness to protect British-flagged ships overseas.

Former heads of the navy and politicians are joining a chorus of criticism - warning that Britain's fleet no longer has the power to protect the country's interests.

Former First Sea Lord, Admiral Lord West said the Navy is 'disgracefully short of ships' while retired commander of UK maritime forces Rear Admiral Alex Burton said the Navy's decline since 2005 'has had an impact on our ability to protect our interests around the globe'.

On Friday the Royal Navy frigate HMS Montrose arrived an hour too late to prevent the seizure of the Impero.

Politicians and military experts have asked why the ship was not accompanied by a Royal Navy convoy and Conservative MP Huw Merriman said earlier this week: 'I take the view that we have dropped the ball here ... we did not put in place a chain where we asked all of our vessels to leave at a certain time under convoy.

'So it was hardly a surprise when one of ours got taken.'

Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif warned incoming Prime Minister Mr Johnson that 'Iran does not seek confrontation. But we have 1500 miles of Persian Gulf coastline.' 

He also accused Britain 'of doing the bidding for the Trump administration'.  

The Royal Navy fleet is a fraction of its size three decades ago and many ships are currently out of commission undergoing maintenance or repair

'It's important for everybody to realize, it's important for Boris Johnson to understand, that Iran does not seek confrontation, that Iran wants normal relations based on mutual respect,' Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said.     

The controversial nuclear deal - which Britain remains signed up to - guaranteed Iran economic benefits in return for curtailing its nuclear programme in a way which would not allow it to obtain nuclear weapons.

After tearing it up, Mr Trump reapplied stringent economic sanctions on Tehran, robbing the kingdom of much of its income, prompting the regime to walk back on its commitments.

As Iran tried to pressure European leaders to find a way to salvage the deal, tankers in the Gulf can under repeated attack, in explosions which Britain and America have blamed on Tehran.  

A tape has emerged of HMS Montrose (pictured in 2007) ordering the crew of the Stena Impero not to follow Iranian demands to change its course. The frigate was around an hour late to prevent the seizure of the tanker

A UAE investigation found four mysterious sabotage attacks on May 12 were linked to a 'state actor' but did not name Iran. 

The attacks were carried out with limpet mines and were 'part of a sophisticated and coordinated operation', the report found. 

The tanker attacks inflamed an already tense Middle East stand-off and prompted the U.S. to bolster its military presence in the region. 

Matters worsened just four weeks later when another two ships were hit by explosions in the Gulf of Oman.  

Forty-four sailors were forced to abandon their ships amid a huge fireball on the MT Front Altair and another blast on the Kokuka Courageous. 

America again blamed Iran, releasing a video which purported to show Iranian revolutionary guard forces removing an unexploded limpet mine from one of the ships.  

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News Photo Britain sends mediator to Iran to negotiate release of Stena Impero
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