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Tehran summons UK ambassador over ‘the seizure of an Iranian oil tanker’
Iran summoned the British ambassador in Tehran for what it called as the "illegal seizure" of an Iranian oil tanker in Gibraltar on Thursday, Iranian state TV said, quoting foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi.
Royal Marines seized ship in Gibraltar suspected of taking Iranian oil to Syria, as a breach of EU sanctions, this comes in a rapid step that may cause an escalating confrontation between Iran and the west.
According to Refinitiv Eikon ship tracking data, the tanker carried Iranian crude oil on April 17. If it is being confirmed that it was trying to deliver the shipment to Syria, it would also be a breach of US sanctions on Iranian oil exports.
The Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, said the Gibraltar government had seized the ship according an American request from Britain.
Britain welcomed the "firm action" taken by the Gibraltar government to detain the tanker and said this step has a clear message which indicates that the breach of EU sanctions is unacceptable.
Syrian Regime has been subjected to EU sanctions since May 2011, shortly after starting the bloodshed against the pro-democracy demonstrators, then it turned to a civil war.
Iran, an ally of President Bashar al-Assad, is also subject to US sanctions aimed at stopping all its oil exports. The sanctions were imposed last year after Trump withdrew from a nuclear deal signed by international powers with Iran in 2015.
We have reason to believe that the Grace 1 was carrying its shipment of crude oil to the Banyas Refinery in Syria, Gibraltar government stated.
The Gibraltarian PM, Fabian Picardo, said "that refinery is the property of an entity that is subject to European Union sanctions against Syria."
He added, "with my consent, our port and law enforcement agencies sought the assistance of the Royal Marines in carrying out this operation."
