Iran fury as Royal Marines storm oil smuggling tanker
‘Denied valuable resources to Assad’
ROYAL Marines mounted a daring operation yesterday to seize a supertanker believed to be smuggling crude oil from Iran to Syria.
Under the cover of darkness, marines from 42 Commando descended on to the tanker on ropes from a Wildcat helicopter.
Other marines in fast-moving rigid inflatable boats stormed the vessel alongside Gibraltarian police. No shots were fired during the operation.
Iran reacted with fury to the raid and there were fears last night that it could escalate its confrontation with the West.
In Tehran, the Iranian foreign ministry summoned British ambassador Robert Macaire to a meeting to voice ‘its very strong objection to the illegal and unacceptable seizure’ of its ship.
Foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi called the ship’s seizure ‘odd and destructive’, adding: ‘It can cause an increase in tensions in the region.’
The United States had been tracking the tanker, the Grace 1, and had called on Britain to seize it as it entered waters off Gibraltar. Defence chiefs gave the go-ahead for about 30 marines to fly from Britain to Gibraltar to help police board the vessel. About 16 Royal Gibraltar Police officers were also involved in the operation.
In a rare move, the Ministry of Defence released images of the marines ‘fast-roping’ on to the 300,000-ton vessel from the helicopter.
The Grace 1, which is more than 1,000ft long, was detained by Gibraltar because it was believed to be heading to the Banyas refinery in Syria in breach of EU sanctions.
The EU imposed financial, trade and transport sanctions against Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s regime in 2011 in response to its ‘continuing brutal campaign’ against its own people. The US has also imposed sanctions, to choke off Iran’s oil exports.
But the incident reignited the UK’s long-standing row with Spain over Gibraltar, which has been controlled by Britain since 1713. Josep Borrell, Spain’s acting foreign minister, said it was looking into how the seizing of the ship may affect Spanish sovereignty because it happened in waters around Gibraltar that it considers Spanish.
The MoD said the incident took place in Gibraltar’s territorial waters.
Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: ‘Congratulations to Gibraltar and the Royal Marines for this bold move to enforce Syria sanctions.
‘ Their swift action has denied valuable resources to Assad’s murderous regime.’
Iran’s anger over the seizure lifted any doubt about its ownership of the vessel, which flew a Panamanian flag and is listed as managed by a company in Singapore.
Tracking experts said the Grace 1 had left Iran in midApril and sailed the longer route round the southern tip of Africa as it headed to Syria. Analysts believe it was carrying two million barrels of Iranian crude oil.
It was claimed the vessel had turned off its electronic tracking devices as it sailed into Iranian waters and then turned them on again after leaving. Such tactics are used to evade sanctions, but ships can still be followed through satellite imagery. Gibraltar’s chief minister, Fabian Picardo, praised the ‘ brave men and women’ of the Royal Marines and police. ‘We have detained the vessel and its cargo,’ he said. ‘ We have reason to believe that the Grace 1 was carrying its shipment of crude oil to the Banyas refinery.’
Downing Street said the operation ‘sends a clear message that violation of the sanctions is unacceptable’.
European countries have so far tried to appear neutral in the escalating confrontation between Tehran and Washington. The US called off air strikes against Iran at the last minute last month. Tehran has amassed stocks of enriched uranium banned under a 2015 nuclear deal.