Sources in the Indian External Affairs Ministry confirmed here on Thursday saying 'Iran has ordered release of the Indian oil tanker,'

However, the Indian Ministry of Shipping is awaiting the confirmation on the actual release of the vessel MT Desh Shanti. 'We are waiting to see such an order,' a Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) official said.

The recent development followed hectic exchanges through diplomatic channels between the two countries.

The tanker MT Desh Shanti belongs the public sector, SCI. It was seized by Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) on August 12 citing environmental and pollution charges in Iranian waters.

India had strongly objected to pollution charges and said that the vessel was on a 'innocent passage' from Basrah to Visakhapatnam was not voluntarily destined at any Iranian ports, and was 'forcibly diverted' to Iranian waters and then subject to Port State Control (PSC) inspection.

Taking exception to the illegal detention India said it was a 'colourable' exercise in transgression of UN convention on the laws of the sea and warning of serious ramifications.

In a strong-worded letter to Iran, India had made it clear that PSC inspection is a legitimate mechanism to be utilised prudently and 'any arbitrary enforcement of this well-established regime can have serious ramifications on the smooth conduct of international maritime transport and may send alarming messages to the shipping community...'

India, the world's fourth-largest oil importer, has significantly reduced its import from Iran following severe financial sanctions from the Western powers against the Islamic republic. India has diversified its oil import basket and looked for major suppliers like Iraq. Iran, however, maintained that the detention was 'purely a technical and non-political issue'.

The letter to Iranian Director General, Safety and Marine Protection also said, 'We, the Indian administration, strongly object to this colourable exercise of power and remind your administration that your act in this case was in transgression of the UNCLOS'82 and several other international conventions.'

Last week, Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh had summoned the Iranian Ambassador Gholamreza Ansari here to lodge a strong protest over the detention of its oil tanker and sought an 'unconditional' release of the vessel.

External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid had also asserted that it was important that New Delhi does not concede any point and the ship should be released 'unconditionally'.