Iran says it could release seized British-flagged tanker Stena Impero within days
- Foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi says necessary steps to set ship free are ‘under way’
- Vessel was detained in what was seen as tit-for-tat move after British authorities seized Iranian tanker in July
Iran hinted on Sunday that it could release “within days” a British-flagged oil tanker it had seized in July in sensitive Gulf waters amid rising hostilities with Britain’s ally the United States.
Foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi told state television the “necessary steps” to set the Swedish-owned ship free were “under way”.
“The final steps of the legal procedure are underway and, God willing, the boat will be released in the coming days,” he said, without giving further details.
The seizure of the Stena Impero was seen as a tit-for-tat move after British authorities detained an Iranian tanker off Gibraltar in July on suspicion it was shipping oil to Syria in breach of EU sanctions.
Gibraltar released the ship – formerly called the Grace 1 but since renamed the Adrian Darya 1 – on August 18 after receiving written assurances from Iran that it would not head to countries under EU sanctions.
Tehran denied it had made any promises about the destination of the ship laden with 2.1 million barrels of oil, which had been elusive since leaving Gibraltar.
