GIBRALTAR ORDERS RELEASE OF IRANIAN TANKER ‘GRACE 1’
▶ Government’s decision comes after last-minute US attempt to extend detention of the ship
Gibraltar’s government ordered the release of the Iranian tanker seized off its coast after receiving assurances its cargo of crude oil would not be unloaded in Syria.
The order to release the Grace 1 came after a last-ditch legal effort by the United States to keep the ship in detention after its seizure on July 4 because of suspicions that its load was bound for the regime of Bashar Al Assad.
Iran’s foreign minister said a US attempt at piracy had failed and the decision potentially clears the way for the release of a UK-flagged ship held by Iran.
Grace 1 was commandeered by British Marines after Gibraltar’s government was told that the oil was heading for the Baniyas refinery in Syria, under the control of the Assad government.
Gibraltar’s government released further documents on Thursday in which it said that navigation charts, emails and voyage plans all pointed to the final destination being Baniyas. The decision to release the ship came after a meeting between chief minister Fabian Picardo and an Iranian official in London on July 19 and weeks of constructive discussions, according to a statement from the Gibraltar government.
Iran sent written assurances on August 13 saying that the oil would not go to a country facing EU sanctions, the statement said.
“This assurance had the effect of ensuring that we have deprived the Assad regime in Syria of more than $140 million of valuable crude oil,” Mr Picardo said.
“In light of the assurances we have received, there are no longer any reasonable grounds for the continued legal detention of the Grace 1,” he said. “The net effect is that this operation has become the most successful implementation of the European sanctions regime to date.”
Gibraltar’s government had previously confirmed a delay in the release of the vessel after receiving the US request for a continued detention. A hearing was heard later on Thursday when a judge said that there was no US application before the court and the ship was clear to leave, according to the Gibraltar Chronicle.
It was not immediately clear when the ship would leave or if there would be further opportunities for the US to prevent its departure.
The decision was welcomed
as a victory by Iran, whose foreign minister, Javad Zarif tweeted: “Having failed to accomplish its objectives through its #EconomicTerrorism – including depriving cancer patients of medicine – the US attempted to abuse the legal system to steal our property on the high seas.
“This piracy attempt is indicative of Trump admin’s contempt for the law,” he said.
The release of the ship against the apparent wishes of the US highlights the different approaches to Iran between European nations and America.
Gibraltar said it had been seeking to de-escalate tensions and confirmed that the captain of Grace 1 and three officers had been released.
EU governments have tried to find ways to trade with Iran even after the US pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal. The decision by the Trump administration stopped billions of dollars’ worth of business deals, largely halted the sale of Iran’s crude oil internationally and sharply depreciated Iran’s currency, the rial.
The latest US move to prevent the release of Grace 1 had the potential to reignite tensions with Tehran amid increased concerns about the continued safe passage of shipping in the Gulf region.
The release could now clear the way for the British-flagged tanker, the Stena Impero, which was seized in the Strait of Hormuz two weeks later, to also be freed.
It was taken in what was regarded as an act of retaliation by Iran. The UK says Iran unlawfully seized the Stena
Impero, which is owned by a Swedish company, but Tehran claims it had broken maritime regulations.
Britain’s foreign ministry said it will not allow Iran to bypass what it called vital EU sanctions on Syria. It also referenced Iran’s manoeuvres in the Arabian Gulf, such as the seizure of the Stena Impero.
“There is no comparison or link between Iran’s unacceptable and illegal seizure of, and attacks on, commercial shipping vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and the enforcement of EU Syria sanctions by the Government of Gibraltar,” the Foreign Office said.