The Swedish-owned Stena Impero was detained by Iran's Revolutionary Guards on July 19 in the Strait of Hormuz waterway for alleged maritime violations, two weeks after Britain detained an Iranian tanker off the territory of Gibraltar. That vessel was released in August.

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Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi told state television that the seven, who include Indian citizens, were allowed to leave the tanker on humanitarian grounds and could leave Iran soon.

"We have no problem with the crew and the captain and the issue is violations that the vessel committed," Mousavi said.

The Stena Impero's 23 seafarers are of Indian, Russian, Latvian and Filipino nationality, the vessel's Swedish owner Stena Bulk has said.

"We are very pleased that for seven crew members their ordeal may soon be over, and they may return to their families, however, we cautiously await official confirmation of their release date," Erik Hanell, Stena Bulk's president and chief executive, said in a statement.

"We view this communication as a positive step on the way to the release of all the remaining crew, which has always been our primary concern and focus."

The company said that the remaining 16 crew members would remain on board to safely operate the vessel.

Several international merchant vessels have been attacked in the Gulf this year in incidents that have rocked world commodity trading. The US blames Iran, which denies the accusation.

Iran has denounced US efforts to set up a coalition and says that countries in the region can protect waterways and work toward signing a nonaggression pact.

On Wednesday, the Revolutionary Guards said separately that its navy detained seven trawling vessels with 24 foreign crew members near the mouth of the Persian Gulf for fishing too close to Iran's coast and other violations, the ISNA news agency reported.

An Iranian Revolutionary Guards statement did not provide the crews' nationalities, but Iranian media have often carried reports of complaints from local fishermen about Chinese ships who are active in bottom trawling, which involves dragging a large net across the seafloor.

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The comment by President Hassan Rouhani coincided with a remark by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif that Tehran might act "unpredictably" in response to "unpredictable" US policies under President Donald Trump.

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"World powers know that in the case that oil is completely sanctioned and Iran's oil exports are brought down to zero, international waterways can't have the same security as before," Rouhani said while meeting Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to Khamenei's official website.

"So unilateral pressure against Iran can't be to their advantage and won't guarantee their security in the region and the world."

Tensions between Tehran and Washington have risen since the Trump administration last year quit an international deal to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions and began to ratchet up sanctions. Tehran has denounced the new penalties as "economic warfare."

In a speech at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Zarif appeared to echo Rouhani's tone.

"Mutual unpredictability will lead to chaos. President Trump cannot expect to be unpredictable and expect others to be predictable. Unpredictability will lead to mutual unpredictability and unpredictability is chaotic," Zarif said.

Global commodity trading has been rocked in recent months after a series of attacks on international merchant vessels, which the United States has blamed on Iran and an Iranian seizure of a British oil tanker. Tehran has denied accusations that it was behind attacks on six tankers in May and June.

Washington, which has by far the strongest Western naval contingent in the Gulf, has been calling for its allies to join it in an operation to guard shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital gateway for the world's oil industry.

So far, Britain, Australia, and Bahrain have joined the US-led security mission to protect merchant vessels traveling through key Middle East waterways.

Reiterating Iran's chilly response to the security mission, Iranian Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi, a deputy commander of the elite Revolutionary Guards, said no one can secure the Gulf other than Iran and countries of the region, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.

"Securing the Persian Gulf is the responsibility of Iran and the countries of the region," Fadavi said. "Other than us, no one can secure the Persian Gulf."

Erik Hanell, the owner of the British-flagged tanker detained by Iran while entering the Gulf, met Zarif in Stockholm on Aug. 20 to make the case for the ship and its crew to be freed.

The Stena Impero was diverted to an Iranian port on July 19, two weeks after Britain detained an Iranian tanker off the territory of Gibraltar. That ship was released this week.

"A constructive dialogue was had and we shared information around the case," Hanell, chief executive of Stena Bulk, said in a statement on Wednesday. "It was important for us to emphasize the importance of the release of the 23 crew. ... Also for the release of the Swedish-owned vessel Stena Impero."

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British Royal Marines seized the tanker in Gibraltar in July on suspicion that it was carrying oil to Syria, a close ally of Iran, in violation of European Union sanctions. That triggered a series of events that have heightened tensions on international oil shipping routes through the Gulf.

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The Grace 1, renamed the Adrian Darya 1, left anchorage off Gibraltar around 11 p.m., Refinitiv shipping data showed. Its destination was not immediately clear.

Iran's ambassador to Britain, Hamid Baeidinejad, had written on Twitter earlier that the vessel was expected to leave on Sunday night, adding that two engineering teams had been flown to Gibraltar.

The tanker's detention ended last week, but a federal court in Washington on Friday issued a warrant for the seizure of the tanker, the oil it carries and nearly $1 million.

On Sunday, Gibraltar said that it could not comply with the request because it was bound by EU law.

"The EU sanctions regime against Iran – which is applicable in Gibraltar – is much narrower than that applicable in the US," the government said in a statement. "The Gibraltar Central Authority is unable to seek an Order of the Supreme Court of Gibraltar to provide the restraining assistance required by the United States of America."

Washington had attempted to detain the Grace 1 on the grounds that it had links to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which it has designated a terrorist organization.

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that "Iran would like to talk," attributing the willingness to economic conditions in the country when asked about the status of the tanker.

"We can do something very fast, but they don't quite know how to begin," Trump told reporters before boarding Air Force One in New Jersey.

Iran has denied the tanker was ever headed to Syria.

Tehran said it was ready to dispatch its naval fleet to escort the tanker if required.

"The era of hit and run is over ... if top authorities ask the navy, we are ready to escort out tanker Adrian," Iran's navy commander, Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi, was quoted as saying by the Mehr news agency.

Earlier on Sunday, video and photographs showed the tanker flying the red, green and white flag of Iran and bearing its new name, painted in white, on the hull. Its previous name, 'Grace 1', had been painted over.

The initial impounding of the Grace 1 sparked a diplomatic row that escalated when Tehran seize a British-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf two weeks later. That tanker, the Stena Impero, is still detained.

The two vessels have since become pawns in a bigger game, feeding into wider hostilities since the US last year pulled out of an international agreement to curb Iran's nuclear program, and reimposed economic sanctions.

Iran has denounced US efforts to set up an international maritime security coalition in the Gulf and insisted that regional countries could protect the strategic waterway and work toward signing a non-aggression pact.

On a trip to Kuwait on Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a tweet that "Iran's proposal for Regional Dialogue Forum and non-aggression pact trumps reliance on extraneous actors".

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The Grace 1 was seized by British Royal Marine commandos in darkness off the coast of the territory at the western mouth of the Mediterranean on July 4, on suspicion of violating European Union sanctions by taking oil to Syria, a close ally of Iran.

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Two weeks later, Iran seized a British-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz leading into the Persian Gulf.

Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said he decided to lift the detention order after formal written assurances from Tehran that the ship would not discharge its 2.1 million barrels of oil in Syria.

"In light of the assurances we have received, there are no longer any reasonable grounds for the continued legal detention of the Grace 1 in order to ensure compliance with the EU Sanctions Regulation," Picardo said.

Iran's Foreign Ministry said the country made no commitments to gain the release of its tanker, reiterating Tehran's claim the Grace 1 was never bound for Syria as alleged by its captors.

"Iran has made no commitment for the release of the Grace 1 tanker. As we said earlier … Syria was not its destination and we have upheld the same … and reiterated that it was nobody's business even if it was Syria," Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi was quoted as saying by the Tasnim news agency.

However, Gibraltar officials did not make clear whether the US legal bid would mean the ship would have to be detained further or, if so, for how long.

"Separately, the United States Department of Justice has requested that a new legal procedure for the detention of the vessel should be commenced," Picardo said. "That is a matter for our independent Mutual Legal Assistance authorities who will make an objective, legal determination of that request for separate proceedings."

In a statement, the US State Department said that the United States had determined the ship was helping Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, which Washington has designated as a terrorist organization.

"In the case of the M/T Grace 1, we will continue to act consistent with our existing policies concerning those who provide material support to the IRGC," the State Department said.

Iran said the ship would sail shortly, and Foreign Minister Mohammad Zarif characterized the US bid to prevent it from leaving as "piracy."

"Having failed to accomplish its objectives through its #EconomicTerrorism — including depriving cancer patients of medicine — the US attempted to abuse the legal system to steal our property on the high seas," he tweeted.

"America desperately tried to block the release of the tanker at the last minute, but faced a miserable defeat," Iran's ambassador to Britain, Hamid Baeidinejad, said on Twitter. "All preparations are done for the tanker to sail into open waters, and the vessel will soon leave Gibraltar."

The tanker remains anchored, witnesses said, though its prow has moved around by at least 180 degrees. It was unclear whether that was due to the strong sea currents off Gibraltar or if it could be preparing to sail.

The State Department responded to the move by saying it would revoke US visas for crew members on an Iranian oil tanker that was seized by authorities in Gibraltar for sanctions violations but released Thursday.

The department says in a statement it intends to fully enforce all US sanctions related to Iranian oil exports despite the decision by Gibraltar to allow the ship to leave. The Grace 1 was seized last month on suspicion of transporting Iranian oil to Syria in violation of European sanctions. Such deliveries are also barred by US sanctions.

Jalil Eslami, deputy head of Iran's Ports and Maritime Organization, told the semi-official Mehr news agency the Grace 1 would head to "Mediterranean ports," citing "an announcement by the owner of the tanker." Eslami did not identify the owner.

Britain's Foreign Office said Iran must abide by its pledge that the ship would not sail for Syria. There was "no comparison or linkage between Iran's unacceptable and illegal seizure of, and attacks on, commercial shipping vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and the enforcement of EU Syria sanctions by the Government of Gibraltar," it added in a statement.

Several diplomatic sources have said Britain seized the vessel at the request of the United States, although Gibraltar denies that it was ordered to do so.

Although Britain and Iran have both denied that they would swap the tankers for each other, there has been a widespread expectation that the British-flagged Stena Impero will not be freed until the Iranian tanker is released.

In a statement hours after a Gibraltar court released the Grace 1, UK authorities insisted they would not allow Iran or anyone else to bypass European Union sanctions meant to punish Syria for using chemical weapons against its own people.

But the UK also insisted that there should be "no comparison or linkage" between the enforcement of sanctions and "Iran's unacceptable and illegal seizure of, and attacks on, commercial shipping vessels in the Strait of Hormuz."

Erik Hanell, CEO and president of the owner of the Stena Impero, Stena Bulk, said, "any event which contributes in any way" to getting the crew of its ship free in Iran "must be viewed as positive."

European countries including Britain strongly disapproved of Trump's abandonment of the 2015 nuclear deal, an international agreement that guaranteed Iran access to trade in return for curbs to its nuclear program.

The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on Iran with the aim of halting its oil exports altogether. European countries have lifted sanctions against Iran itself though they still have a ban on selling oil to Syria, in place since 2011.

Britain, which has insisted its Iran policy will not change under new Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who took office last month, has repeatedly indicated it wants a compromise over the tanker.

US national security adviser John Bolton visited London from Sunday to Tuesday, offering US help on Britain's exit from the EU, due on Oct. 31. Britain has announced plans to join a US-led maritime security mission in the Gulf.

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A source for the government of the British Mediterranean territory Gibraltar, where UK marines seized the tanker on July 4 on suspicion of violating European sanctions by transporting oil to Syria, denied an Iranian report that the release of the tanker could happen on Tuesday.

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Tehran has denied that its vessel was engaged in illegal activity and in retaliation, the Iran Revolutionary Guards seized the British-flagged Stena Impero tanker in the Strait of Hormuz waterway on July 19 for alleged marine violations.

The deputy head of Iran's Ports and Maritime Organisation, Jalil Eslami, said in remarks reported by state news agency IRNA that Britain was thinking of freeing the Grace 1 following an exchange of documents.

"The vessel was seized based on false allegations ... it has not been freed yet," Eslami said. "We hope the release will take place soon," he said.

Iran's Fars news agency, quoting unidentified Gibraltar authorities, said that the tanker would be freed by Tuesday evening. A senior Gibraltarian government source said that was incorrect, though earlier the territory had said it was seeking the de-escalate the situation.

The tankers' affair has added to worsening hostilities since Washington pulled out of an international agreement to curb Iran's nuclear program and reimpose economic sanctions.

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"I am openly saying that Britain should be scared of Iran's retaliatory measures over the illegal seizure of the Iranian oil tanker," said Mohammad Ali Mousavi Jazayeri, a member of the powerful clerical body the Assembly of Experts.

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"We have shown that we will never remain silent against bullying. … As we gave a staunch response to the American drone, the appropriate response to this illegal capture [of the tanker] will be given by Iran as well," he said.

British Royal Marines seized the supertanker Grace 1 on Thursday for trying to take oil to Syria in violation of EU sanctions in a move that drew Tehran's fury and could escalate its confrontation with the West.

Iran downed a US military drone on June 20 that it said was flying over one of its southern provinces on the Gulf. Washington said the drone was shot down over international waters.

An Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander threatened on Friday to seize a British ship in retaliation for the capture of an Iranian supertanker by Royal Marines.

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Gibraltar port and law enforcement agencies, assisted by Britain's Royal Marines, boarded the Grace 1 early Thursday, authorities on the British overseas territory at the tip of Spain said in a statement.

It added that the vessel was believed to be headed to the Baniyas Refinery in Syria, which is a government-owned facility under the control of Syrian President Bashar Assad and is subject to the EU's Syrian Sanctions Regime.

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The EU, and others, have imposed sanctions on Assad's government over its continued crackdown against civilians. They currently target 270 people and 70 entities.

Spain's caretaker foreign minister said the tanker was stopped by British authorities after a request from the United States.

Josep Borrell told reporters in Madrid that Spain was assessing the implications of the operation because the detention took place in waters it considers its own.

Britain insists Gibraltar is part of the United Kingdom but Spain argues that it is not, and the tanker operation risks offending the Spanish authorities.

"We're looking into how this (operation) affects our sovereignty," said Borrell, who was nominated earlier this week to become the EU's foreign policy chief.

The Spanish claim that the US requested the operation switched attentions as to whether the tanker was carrying Iranian crude or not.

The Gibraltar authorities didn't confirm the origin of the ship's cargo but Lloyd's List, a publication that specializes in maritime affairs, reported this week that the Panama-flagged large carrier was laden with Iranian oil. Experts were said to have concluded that it carried oil from Iran because the tanker wasn't sending geographic information while in Iranian waters. According to a UN list, the ship is owned by the Singapore-based Grace Tankers Ltd.

According to the data firm Refinitv, the vessel likely carried just over 2 million barrels of Iranian crude oil. Tracking data showed that the tanker made a slow trip around the southern tip of Africa before reaching the Mediterranean Sea.

The tanker's detention comes at a particularly sensitive time as tensions between the US and Iran grow over the unraveling of a 2015 nuclear deal, which President Donald Trump withdrew from last year. Trump has also slapped sanctions on Iran and recently approved the passage of a carrier group, bombers and fighter jets to the Persian Gulf.

In recent days, Iran has broken through the limit which the deal put on its stockpile of low-enriched uranium and plans on Sunday to boost its enrichment. Meanwhile, oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz have been targeted in mysterious attacks as Iranian-backed rebels in Yemen launch bomb-laden drones into Saudi Arabia.

The US has rushed thousands of additional troops, an aircraft carrier, B-52 bombers and F-22 fighters to the region, raising fears of a miscalculation that may spark a wider conflict. Last month, Iran shot down a US surveillance drone, further stoking those fears.

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