A British-flagged oil tanker that was seized by Iran has left the port where it had been held for two months.
Stena Bulk, the owner of the Stena Impero tanker, confirmed the ship was moving away from the port of Bandar Abbas in southern Iran.
CEO Erik Hanell told Reuters: "The ship is on the move. We will comment further when the ship reaches international waters."
The Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran had said earlier the vessel left at 9am local time on Friday and was heading to international waters
The authority said the probe into alleged maritime violations continues even though the tanker has been released.
The Stena Impero was detained by Iran's Revolutionary Guards in the Strait of Hormuz waterway in July for alleged marine violations two weeks after Britain seized an Iranian tanker off the territory of Gibraltar.
Tracking data suggested the Stena had set a new destination for Port Rashid in the United Arab Emirates, about 155 miles away, on Friday morning.
At normal tanker speed, it would reach within half a day.
Iran's foreign ministry said on Wednesday a lifting of the detention order had been finalised, but an investigation into the vessel was ongoing.
The ship's Sweden-based owner later said it was not in negotiations with Iran and was not aware of any formal charges against the crew or the company.
Iran had earlier freed seven of the ship's 23 crew members.
Iran's seizure of the Stena Impero on July 19 had ratcheted up tensions in the region following attacks in May and June on other merchant vessels in Gulf waters which Washington blamed on Tehran.
Iran has denied responsibility.
Relations between the United States and Iran have become more strained since Washington withdrew last year from a global pact to rein in Tehran's nuclear programme and imposed sanctions on the country aimed at shutting down Iranian oil exports.
