Iran warns U.S. against seizing Grace 1 oil tanker

PanARMENIAN.Net - Iran has warned the U.S. against attempting to seize an Iranian oil tanker in open seas after after its release from Gibraltar, The Guardian reports.

The tanker, which ash been caught in a standoff between Tehran and the west, was sailing for Greece on Monday, shipping data showed, hours after the British territory rejected a U.S. request to detain the vessel further. MarineTraffic reported its destination as the Peloponnesian city of Kalamata.

Asked whether the U.S. might renew its seizure request after the tanker sailed from Gibraltar, an 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.”

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

The ship, formerly known as the Grace 1 but renamed by Iran as the Adrian Darya 1, is carrying 2.1m barrels of oil, a cargo is worth an estimated £115m.

Royal Marines seized the vessel off Gibraltar on 4 July, saying it was carrying oil bound for Syria in breach of EU sanctions.