UK says Iran tanker will be freed ‘with guarantees’

BRITISH Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt sought to ease tensions with Iran on Saturday, saying a tanker held by Gibraltar would be released if Tehran guaranteed it was not heading to Syria.

He said he had a “construct ive c a l l” w it h h i s I r a n ia n c ou nt e r p a r t Moh a m mad Jav ad Z a r i f, who he s a id assured him that Tehran “is not seek ing to esca late” tensions bet ween the countries.

“I reassured him our concern was destination not origin of the oil on Grace One,” a tanker seized of f t he coast of t he t iny Brit ish territor y of Gibr a lt a r on Ju l y 4, Hunt t weeted.

An Iranian statement confirmed the conversation and sa id Hunt underlined Ira n’s “right to export oil”. It added t hat Teh ra n hoped t hat a n investigation in Gibraltar into t he seized ship “would lead quick ly to t he release of t he Iranian tanker”.

US officials believe the tanker was destined for Syria to deliver oil, in violation of separate EU and US sanctions.

Hunt said Britain “would facilitate release if we received guarantees that it would not be going to Syria, following due process in Gibraltar courts.

“Was told by FM Zarif that Iran wants to resolve issue and is not seeking to escalate.”

Tehran had reacted angrily to the seizure, and Britain last week said Iranian military vessels had tried to “impede the passage” of a British oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran, in its statement relayed by state media, said Zarif had told Hunt that his country would continue to export its oil “in all circumstances” and that the Grace One’s destination was a “legal” one, in “the eastern Mediterranean”. He did not specify where.

Hunt said Gibraltar’s Chief Minister Fabian Picardo was doing an “excellent job coordinating issue and shares UK perspective on the way forward”.

Picardo said in a separate statement that he spoke with Hunt before and after the foreign secretary’s conversation with Zarif and backed several of the points that were raised.

He said notably that he asked Hunt to tell Iran that Gibraltar would continue to enforce EU sanctions but it was also prepared to release the Grace One “if we were satisfied that we had received guarantees that it would not be going to Syria or to any entity sanctioned under the relevant EU regulations”.

He adde d t h at he wa s “pleased to hear of Iran’s constructive approach and t heir wish a lso to resolve t his situation, which comes at a time of heig htened i nter nat iona l tensions”.