Iran urges release of seized oil tanker

Washington plans naval escort ops in Persian Gulf region after latest escalation

TEHERAN/DUBAI - Iran called on the United States on Friday to immediately release an oil tanker that British Royal Marines seized last week on suspicion it was breaking European sanctions by taking oil to Syria, an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman told state news agency IRNA.

"This is a dangerous game and has consequences, ... the legal pretexts for the capture are not valid, ... the release of the tanker is in all countries' interest," spokesman Abbas Mousavi said.