Germany Denounces Iran’s Seizure Of British Oil Tanker

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) – Germany says Iran’s seizure of a British oil tanker and the brief detention of another is an “unjustifiable intrusion” on shipping through a key Persian Gulf route that is increasing tensions in the region. The Foreign Ministry said Saturday that it “strongly condemns” Iran’s actions on Friday against the vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. The ministry is urging Iran to immediately release the ship and crew it seized, and said Britain has Germany’s support. It calls the seizure “an unjustifiable intrusion into the civilian shipping industry which further exacerbates an already strained situation.” It added that, “Another regional escalation would be very dangerous; it would also undermine all ongoing efforts to find a way out of the current crisis.”