Norway: 'Freedom of navigation is for all' - Iran's foreign minister on tanker seizure

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SOT, Mohammad Zarif, Iranian Foreign Minister: "Just like international law, freedom of navigation needs to be observed by all and for all. It cannot be a pick-and-choose area. You cannot have freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and not have freedom of navigation in the Strait of Gibraltar. You need to have freedom of navigation everywhere and freedom of navigation for everybody. Iran is committed to respecting the rule of law but there are different ways of respecting the rule of law. You can apply the rule of law very stringently. You can apply the rule of law freely. If there are piracy against our ships, there is no need to call us for applying the rule of law. And if you try to be strict, everyone will be. Our ship was not violating any rules. The United Kingdom took that ship against the international law in case of sea piracy and we cannot accept it. So we are all for freedom of navigation."
SCRIPT
Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Tehran is committed to respecting the rule of law commenting on the recent seizure and release of its oil tanker in Gibraltar. Zarif was speaking at a joint news conference with Norwegian foreign minister Ine Eriksen Soreide in Oslo on Thursday as he is touring Scandinavia.
"Just like international law, freedom of navigation needs to be observed by all and for all. It cannot be a pick-and-choose area. You cannot have freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and not have freedom of navigation in the Strait of Gibraltar. You need to have freedom of navigation everywhere and freedom of navigation for everybody," said Zarif.
Earlier this week Iran warned the US against any attempts to seize the tanker Grace 1 which changed its name to Adrian Darya-1 and left Gibraltar's waters on Sunday.