Iranian Foreign Ministry Summoned UK Ambassador Twice Over Supertanker Seizure

The Iranian Foreign Ministry has summoned UK ambassador to Tehran Rob Macaire twice since the Iranian Grace 1 supertanker was detained by Gibraltar last week, the ministry's spokesman, Seyyed Abbas Mousavi, said

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th July, 2019) The Iranian Foreign Ministry has summoned UK ambassador to Tehran Rob Macaire twice since the Iranian Grace 1 supertanker was detained by Gibraltar last week, the ministry's spokesman, Seyyed Abbas Mousavi, said.

"From the first day when the oil tanker was detained, Iran began to take legal and diplomatic measures. We summoned the UK ambassador twice, and he came to the Iranian Foreign Ministry for several other meetings to provide some clarification," Mousavi said, as quoted by the Tasnim news agency.

The spokesman added that Iranian authorities had already referred the case to a lawyer.

The supertanker was seized last week on suspicion of carrying oil to Syria in breach of EU sanctions. Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell has said that the vessel was detained at the request of the United States, which has been trying to nullify Iran's oil exports.

The ship was initially detained for three days, but the period was later extended to 14 days upon a court order. The captain and chief officer were detained as well.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry has voiced its protest to London, saying that Tehran deemed it unacceptable to detain vessels based on non-UN sanctions. Tehran also refuted claims alleging that the supertanker was transporting oil to Syria.

Gibraltar is a UK overseas territory that was ceded to the United Kingdom by Spain under the Treaty of Utrecht over 300 years ago. However, Spain continues to lay claims to the small piece of land located on the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula to this day.