LONDON, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- Several Iranian gunboats approached a U.S.-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz north of Oman, British media quoted maritime sources and a security consultancy as saying on Tuesday.
The Iranian vessels asked the tanker, Stena Imperative, to stop its engine and prepare for boarding, but the tanker accelerated and continued its journey, according to maritime risk management group Vanguard.
The vessel did not enter Iran's internal territorial waters, and was escorted by a U.S. warship, Vanguard said.
Iran's Fars news agency said a vessel entered Iranian territorial waters without the necessary legal permits, was warned and left the area, citing unnamed Iranian officials, according to media reports.
The Strait of Hormuz is a strategic waterway linking the Persian Gulf with the Arabian Sea and one of the world's most important oil shipping corridors. ■
