Iran Press/Iran news: Mohammad Javad zarif accused the United States on Thursday of attempted piracy in trying to prevent Gibraltar’s release of an Iranian oil tanker.
Authorities in Gibraltar finally released the Iranian oil tanker on Thursday, ignoring the US request to detain the vessel for a further period.
Following the decision by the Gibraltar court, Iran’s Ambassador to the UK Hamid Baeidinejad also said the US effort to press the government of Gibraltar to transfer control of the vessel to Washington had failed.
“The US, with its desperate, last-minute efforts, intended to prevent the release of the [Grace 1] oil tanker from detention, and was faced with humiliation,” Baeidinejad added.
The envoy stated that all preliminary steps have been taken to ensure the tanker’s movement toward free waters and “the vessel will soon leave the Gibraltar region”.
In early July, British marines and Gibraltar police detained the Iranian tanker off the Southern coast of the Iberian Peninsula, claiming that the ship was transporting crude oil to Syria “in violation” of the EU sanctions placed on Damascus.
Washington welcomed the move, calling it as a sign that Europe is on board with the US unilateral sanctions against Tehran.
However, Iran condemned the “illegal move” of UK, accusing the UK of doing Washington’s bidding and helping the US attempt to stifle the Islamic Republic’s oil exports, rejecting London's claim that the supertanker was carrying crude for Syria.
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