Iran: Audio released of purported Iran-UK exchange before seizure of oil tanker *AUDIO*

*AUDIO*
SOT, Iranian naval officer: "If you obey you will be safe. If you obey you will be safe. Alter your course to 360 degrees immediately, over."
[unintelligible]
SOT, British naval officer: "Stena Impero this is British warship Foxtrot 236 (apparently HMS Montrose). Sir, I reiterate that as you are conducting transit passage in a recognised international strait, under international law your passage must not be impaired, intruded, obstructed or hampered. Please confirm you are conducting transit passage in a recognised international strait, over."
SOT, Iranian naval officer: "Stena Impero, Stena Impero, I say again my last - you are ordered, change your course to 360, 360 degrees immediately. If you obey, you will be safe, over."
[unintelligible]
SOT, British naval officer: "Navy patrol boat this is British warship Foxtrot."
[unintelligible]
SOT, Iranian naval officer: "Foxtrot 236 this is separ navy patrol boat. No challenge is intended, no challenge is intended. I want [to inspect] the ship for security reason, over."
SOT, British naval officer: "Separ navy patrol boat this is British warship Foxtrot 236. Sir, your request that you are transmitting to the Stena Imperio [unintelligible] hinder and impede her passage. You must not impair, impede, obstruct or hamper the passage of the MV Stena Impero. She is [unintelligble] strait. Please confirm that you are not intending to violate international law by unlawfully attempting to board the MV Stena [unintelligible]"
SOT, Iranian naval officer: "Stena Impero this is [unintelligible] boat in vicinity. If you obey you will be safe. Alter your course to 360 degrees immediately."
[unintelligible]
SOT, Unknown voice: "Sir, good evening, request permission to sailing out for clearance already on board, over."
[unintelligible]
SCRIPT
An audio recording of what's reported to be the conversation between a British naval ship and an Iranian naval officer ahead of the seizure of a UK-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz was released by maritime security company Dryad Global on Sunday.
The British-flagged Stena Impero was intercepted shortly after the Friday exchange, in which an Iranian naval officer apparently tells his UK naval counterpart: “If you obey you will be safe. Alter your course to 360 degrees immediately.”
What's reported to be the British warship HMS Montrose responds by informing the officer that Iran’s attempt to intercept the ship would breach international law. The UK naval vessel was apparently patrolling the nearby area at the time.
The Iranian officer proceeds to say that “no challenge is intended” but reiterates the demand for the oil tanker to change course, citing “security” as a reason for the demand.
UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt dubbed the seizure "unacceptable" on Saturday and threatened that Iran would face "serious consequences" if the vessel was not released.
UK marines helped seize a tanker near Gibraltar on July 4, which was suspected of being on its way to sell oil to Syria from Iran in alleged breach of international sanctions, to which Tehran announced it would respond in kind.
MANDATORY CREDIT: DRYAD GLOBAL