The cargo ship Stena Impero, seized by Iran last week, was sailing under a British flag, but owned by a Swedish company and had no British nationals on board, reports BBC.
Can ship’s flag differ from that of the owners?It’s very common for ships to fly the flag of a country that differs from that of the owners.
But why is it done and who benefits?Most common ships’ flags in 2018
(In thousand tonnes)
The leading flag statesEvery merchant ship must register with a country, known as a flagged state.
Und...