Disturbing audio captures moment ship captain in Hormuz Strait begs Iran ‘let me turn back’

An Indian oil tanker captain was heard pleading with the Iranian Navy after the ship was fired upon in the Strait of Hormuz.

After the Sanmar Herald Oil Tanker was fired upon in the vital waterway, a radio exchange captured the captain and the Navy pleading with each other.

‘This is motor vessel, Sanmar Herald,’ the captain said.

‘You gave me clearance to go. My name is second on your list. You are firing now. Let me turn back.’

Tracking showed that the oil tanker attempted to leave the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, before turning around and fleeing.

The Iranian Navy said: ‘We warn that no ship, of any kind, should leave its anchorage in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman.

‘Any attempt to approach the Strait of Hormuz will be considered cooperation with the enemy, and the offending vessel will be targeted.’

Iran announced barely 24 hours ago that the key shipping lane would be ‘completely open’ for the duration of the current ceasefire agreement.

But they closed it again yesterday morning in retaliation after the US pressed ahead with its blockade of Iranian ports.

Iran’s joint military command said ‘control of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous state … under strict management and control of the armed forces’.

It warned it would continue to block transits while the US blockade remained in effect.

For Iran, the strait’s closure — imposed after the US and Israel launched the war on February 28 during talks over Tehran’s nuclear program — is perhaps its most powerful weapon, threatening the world economy and inflicting political pain on Trump.

Yesterday, the US president said NATO can ‘stay away’ from the Middle East ‘unless they just want to load up their ships with oil’.

Nato countries had refused Trump’s repeated calls to help him force open the shipping route, which Iran effectively shut down following the US and Israeli attack.

Brent crude fell more than 10% to just over 89 US dollars a barrel in afternoon trading on Friday, and stock markets across Europe also soared.

The FTSE 100 index lifted 0.6% to 10,656, while the Dax in Germany surged 2% and France’s Cac 40 was 1.7% higher.

The US and Iran are in the middle of a fragile truce which is due to last until April 22, while Israel and Lebanon have begun a 10-day ceasefire.

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