Detained British tanker may be released 'soon' - state tv

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran may soon release a detained British tanker after the completion of legal steps, state television reported on Sunday

"I hope the procedures will be completed soon and this tanker will be released," Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi told the station.

In July, Iran seized a British oil tanker near the Strait of Hormuz for alleged marine violations, two weeks after British forces detained an Iranian tanker near Gibraltar accused of taking oil to Syria in violation of European Union sanctions.

The Iranian tanker was later released. Iran this week freed seven of the 23 crew members of the British-flagged tanker.

(Reporting by Dubai newsroom; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)