US WARNS COUNTRIES NOT TO AID IRAN TANKER
▶ Mediterranean states told offering help equates to supporting terrorism
Greece and all states in the Mediterranean have been warned by the US not to aid an Iranian tanker seized in Gibraltar as a diplomatic standoff over the fate of the vessel continues.
A Greek diplomatic source told The National Washington’s message to Mediterranean states had been unequivocal, saying any attempt to assist the Iranian- flagged vessel would be interpreted as supporting terrorism.
“The US side, which has made its views known, [addressed] not only Greece but all states in the Mediterranean,” the diplomatic source said.
Greece was dragged into the international stand- off over the Iranian tanker after it departed the British territory of Gibraltar on Sunday with its stated destination as the Greek port of Kalamata.
Authorities in Greece confirmed they have received no request for the vessel to dock at Kalamata or any other port under their jurisdiction.
“No request for mooring has been lodged with the Kalamata port authorities,” the diplomatic source said.
“Nor for that matter has any other request been submitted to the Greek authorities … or at any other port authority in Greece,” theysaid.
The supertanker, formerly known as the Grace 1 and renamed the Adrian Darya 1 last week, was seized by British commandos in July on suspicion its cargo of 200 million barrels of Iranian crude oil was destined for Syria in contravention of EU sanctions.
The United States has baulked at the decision by authorities in Britain and Gibraltar to release the supertanker after they received written assurances the Grace 1 would not travel to any destinations currently under EU sanctions.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Fox News on Monday the decision to release the ship had been unfortunate.
He said that if Iran successfully managed to sell the oil from the Grace 1 the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps would benefit from “more money, more wealth, more resources to continue their terror campaign”.
Mr Pomeo also said Washington will continue to squeeze Iranian oil exports and the funds they generate.
“We have managed to take almost 2.7 million barrels of crude oil off the market, denying Iran the wealth to create their terror campaign around the world, and we have managed to keep the oil markets fully supplied,” Mr Pompeo told MSNBC yesterday. “I am confident we can continue to do that,” he said.
The United States designated the IRGC a terrorist entity in April 2015, a move that put America at odds with its allies in Europe. Washington made an 11th-hour attempt to extend the seizure of Grace 1 in Gibraltar, partially on the grounds that the tanker was linked to the shadowy arm of the Iranian armed services.
Relations between Iran and the West have deteriorated since May last year when the US tore up the 2015 nuclear deal.
The agreement had lifted economic sanctions on Tehran in return for assurances that it would abandon its nuclear weapons programme.
Europe, on the other hand, has tried to salvage the nuclear deal, attempting to mitigate US sanctions on Iran.
The disagreement between Europe and the US over how to handle Iran has put nations such as Greece on a collision course with Washington. However, authorities in Greece were incredulous over the choice of Kalamata as the supertanker’s supposed destination.
The small port does not support the infrastructure required for a supertanker the size of the Grace 1 to dock there.
Iran has continued to warn the US against seizing the vessel saying any attempts would result in “heavy consequences”.
However, the Islamic republic’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif appeared to downplay the likelihood that the ongoing crisis could lead to a military confrontation with the US in a television interview on Monday.
Mr Zarif, who is on a tour of northern Europe, claimed Washington was the driving force behind escalating tension while visiting the Finnish capital Helsinki.