Stena Bulk, a Swedish company which owns the vessel, said they have been unable to contact the ship, which was seized in the Strait of Hormuz. (Photo: AFP)

New Delhi: Eighteen Indian nationals are among the 23 crew members of a British-flagged oil tanker seized by Iranian Revolutionary Guard in the Strait of Hormuz amid fresh escalation of tensions in the Gulf.

Apart from 18 Indians, the tanker — Stena Impero — has crew members from Russia, Philipines, Latvia on board. The captain of the tanker is an Indian. The tanker is at present in Bander Abbas.

The Indian government has reached out to the Iranian authorities to help release the Indian crew members on board Stena Impero that has been seized by Iran following a collision with an Iranian fishing boat and for “violating” international maritime rules.

“We are ascertaining further details on the incident. Our mission is in touch with the government of Iran to secure the early release and repatriation of Indian nationals,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said on Saturday.

The United Kingdom has said it is “deeply concerned” over Iran’s seizure of a British-flagged tanker in the Gulf and warned Tehran against choosing a “dangerous path of illegal and destabilising behaviour.” The US Maritime Administration has issued an alert for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz as tensions escalate in the strategic waterway.

Stena Bulk, a Swedish company which owns the vessel, said they have been unable to contact the ship, which was seized in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced on Friday they had confiscated a British tanker in the strategic Strait of Hormuz for breaking “international maritime rules”.