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The Grace 1, renamed the Adrian Darya 1, left anchorage off Gibraltar on Sunday. Photo: Reuters

Iran warns US against seizing its supertanker as it heads for Greece

  • US wants to detain the tanker on the grounds that it had links to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard
  • Tehran says any seizure attempt would have heavy consequences
Iran

An Iranian supertanker with US$130 million worth of light crude oil that the US suspects is tied to a sanctioned organisation has left Gibraltar and was heading Monday east into the Mediterranean Sea, with its next destination reported to be Greece.

The Iran-flagged Adrian Darya 1, previously named Grace 1, set course for Kalamata, Greece, with an estimated arrival on August 25, according to ship tracking service MarineTraffic.

It wasn’t immediately clear why the tanker would be heading there or whether the destination could change.

Greek authorities had no immediate comment on the situation.

The vessel left Gibraltar late on Sunday after having been detained for a month in the British overseas territory for allegedly attempting to breach European Union sanctions on Syria.

Gibraltar authorities rejected attempts by the US to seize the oil tanker again, arguing that EU regulations are less strict than US sanctions on Iran.

The Iranian oil tanker, anchored off Gibraltar. Photo: EPA

Gibraltar said it had been assured by Iran that the tanker wouldn’t unload its cargo in Syria.

Iranian government officials have yet to publicly acknowledge the ship’s next destination, or where it would discharge its cargo of 2.1 million barrels of crude oil.

Iran has denied it was ever headed for Syria.

The tanker’s release comes amid a growing confrontation between Iran and the West after US President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers over a year ago.

US issues warrant to seize Iranian oil tanker Grace 1 stuck in Gibraltar

Shortly after the tanker’s detention in early July, Iran seized the British-flagged oil tanker Stena Impero, which remains held by the Islamic republic.

Analysts had said the Iranian ship’s release by Gibraltar might mean that the Stena Impero could go free.

But Iranian officials denied there was any link between the two ships and warned the US against attempting to seize an Iranian oil tanker in open seas.

Asked whether the US might renew its seizure request after the tanker sailed from Gibraltar, the Iranian foreign ministry said: “Such an action … would endanger shipping safety in open seas. We have issued a warning through official channels, especially the Swiss embassy.”

The tanker was previously named Grace 1. Photo: Reuters
The tanker was renamed Adrian Darya 1. Photo: Reuters

Switzerland represents US interests in Iran. Tehran has no official diplomatic relations with Washington.

The US claims the tanker is controlled through a network of front companies by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, which Washington designates as terrorist organisation and is one of the targets of its sanctions.

Authorities in Gibraltar also said the Revolutionary Guard was not designated a terrorist organisation under EU, UK or Gibraltar law.

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Without the territory agreeing to the US request, there were no immediate legal obstacles left to the supertanker setting sail.

The Astralship shipping agency in Gibraltar, which has been hired to handle paperwork and arrange logistics for the Adrian Darya 1, told the Associated Press that a new crew of Indian and Ukrainian nationals were replacing the sailors on board.

The Iranian ship was detained while sailing under a Panamanian flag.

Video footage and photographs taken on Sunday showed it flying the Iranian flag and with its new name painted in white over its previous one on the hull.

Additional reporting by The Guardian and Reuters

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Iran warns US against seizing oil tanker
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