(Alliance News) - An oil tanker operated by BP PLC is being kept inside the Persian Gulf for fear it could be seized by Iran, Bloomberg reported on Monday.
The British Heritage, which is able to move around 1 million barrels of oil, was sailing towards Iraq's Basrah terminal before making an "abrupt" u-turn over the weekend, said Bloomberg.
A person with knowledge of the matter said BP is concerned the tanker, which is now off the Saudi Arabian, could become a target if Iran seeks to retaliate after British marines seized a Syria-bound oil tanker last week.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-07-08/bp-oil-tanker-shelters-in-persian-gulf-on-fear-of-iran-seizure
The secretary of Iran's Expediency Council, a key advisory and arbitration body, at the time of the seizure warned that if Britain failed to release the tanker Iran would be forced to take tit-for-tat action against a British vessel.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi condemned on Twitter the "illegal" seizure of the Panama-flagged ship. Shipping register Lloyd's List reported that the tanker was believed to be carrying Iranian oil.
Shares in BP were up 0.5% at 545.30 pence on Monday.
BP (BP.)
