TEHRAN - The British Ambassador to Tehran, Robert Macaire, was summoned to the Iranian Foreign Ministry on Thursday evening in protest over the seizure of a tanker carrying Iranian oil.

The Foreign Ministry described the UK move as unacceptable and called for an immediate release of the tanker, given that it has been seized at the request of the U.S. based on the information currently available, the ministry said in a report on its website.

Pointing to the fact that the oil tanker was sailing in international waters, Iran called the UK Navy’s move tantamount to maritime banditry and stressed that Britain has no right to impose its own unilateral sanctions or those of the European Union in an extraterritorial manner against other countries.

This is the very bullying policy of the U.S., about which the European countries have been always protesting, the ministry said.

The ambassador was provided with the document about the oil tanker and its cargo indicating the ship’s completely legal passage.

It was also emphasized that Iran will be using all its political and legal capacities to secure the release of the vessel and uphold its rights.

The UK ambassador said he will immediately convey the protest to London, stressing that his country does not follow the unilateral U.S. sanctions against Iran.