UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said Friday that an emergency meeting of cabinet members would be called in response to the recent tanker seizures by Iran, Trend reports citing Sputnik.
Hunt went on to call the acts "unacceptable", adding that he is "extremely concerned" by the acts committed by the Iranian state in the Strait of Hormuz. The official went on to note that UK cabinet members would be attending an emergency meeting in an effort to review the details of the matter and to determine what can be done.
"These seizures are unacceptable," Hunt said in a statement. "It is essential that freedom of navigation is maintained and that all ships can move safely and freely in the region."
Speaking on the seized Stena Impero and Liberian-flagged Mesdar oil tankers, Hunt stated that both vessels' crews comprise members with a variety of nationalities, but that it's understood that no British citizens were aboard either ship.
British officials have been in contact with the UK ambassador in Tehran, who has in turn reached out to the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Hunt has indicated that the UK is working closely with international partners in order to assess the seizures.