Gibraltar To Release Detained Iranian Oil Tanker Later On Thursday - Reports

Umer Jamshaid Published August 15, 2019 | 04:10 AM

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th August, 2019) Grace 1, the Iranian oil tanker detained in Gibraltar in early July, will be released later on Thursday, media reported, citing sources close to Gibraltar's Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo.

On Tuesday, Iran's state-run television and radio corporation IRIB reported, citing informed sources, that the tanker will be released within two days.

The Sun reported late on Wednesday, citing the sources close to Picardo, that the tanker captain had provided the chief minister with a written undertaking, so Picardo had been assured that the vessel was not planning to go to Syria.

Thus, the chief minister would not ask the court to prolong the detention of the vessel at a hearing on Thursday, according to the reports.

"There is no reason to keep Grace 1 in Gibraltar a moment longer if we no longer believe it is in breach of sanctions against the Syrian regime.

That is now the case, so you can expect to see her on her way tomorrow," a source told The Sun, as cited in the article published late on Wednesday.

The tanker was detained by the Gibraltar law enforcement, supported by UK marines, on suspicions of transporting oil to Syria in violation of EU sanctions. The seizure prompted a row between Tehran and London. Moreover, Madrid has said that the tanker had been seized at the request of the United States amid mounting Washington-Tehran tensions.

Iran, which has slammed the move, seized a UK-flagged tanker with 23 crew on board in the Strait of Hormuz over alleged violation of international navigation norms later in July.