Singapore's Maritime and Port Authority has issued a statement regarding the firing incident which happened on the Gulf last week. A Singaporean-flagged tanker was fired upon by Iranian navy ships, prompting the vessel to seek refuge in UAE-controlled waters.
Singapore's MPA stated that it has sent a request to its Iranian counterpart in order to address the issue, as the incident is putting the freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce at risk, according to Reuters. The freedom of navigating freely into non-threatening waters is of primary importance for Singapore and other countries.
"Such interference with navigational rights is a serious violation of international law," the MPA statement said.
The tanker's owner, South Maritime, said that the Alpine Eternity tanker was attacked by a number of small crafts that were "thought to be Iranian," while it was sailing in international waters off the UAE, according to ABC News.
"At 0800 hours GMT, a number of craft approached the Alpine Eternity firing warning shots and the master was ordered by VHF to stop," the statement said.
"The master ignored the order and broke away from his passage and headed into UAE waters at the same time requesting assistance. At the point when the order was ignored and when the vessel changed course it was directly fired upon," the statement added.
An official from the U.S. said that the incident was the result of an initial accident between an Iranian oil platform and the tanker. Iran appeared to be intercepting the ship as a result of a legal dispute, after the ship inadvertently hit an Iranian-owned platform in March, according to ABC News.
"Iran claims that the vessel is liable for damages to the oil platform," the official said. It is believed that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard fired the shots.
Singapore's MPA emphasized in its statement that the country is deeply concerned about the actions of the Iranian navy, according to Reuters.
