The reported transfer comes after the ship modified into impounded in April, with Athens linking the seizure to EU sanctions on Russia.
Printed On 14 Jun 2022
Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organisation (PMO) says an Iranian-flagged tanker seized in April has been freed by Greece, in accordance with the nation’s semi-official Mehr news agency.
“The Greek government finally issued an speak and we are indisputably witnessing the lifting of the ship’s seizure and the return of its cargo to its proprietor,” the PMO told Mehr on Tuesday. The Greek government has but to substantiate the transfer.
The ship, previously known as Pegas and renamed Lana in March, had reported an engine assert in April.
It modified into reportedly headed to the southern Peloponnese Peninsula to offload its cargo onto one more tanker but rough seas compelled it to moor honest off Karystos, on the island of Evia, the set aside it modified into seized.
Its alleged liberate comes after a Greek court overturned an earlier ruling closing week that allowed the confiscation by the United States of half of the tanker’s Iranian oil cargo.
Tehran seizes tankers within the Gulf
Athens had linked the tanker seizure in Greece to European Union sanctions imposed on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine in February.
The tanker modified into firstly set aside Russian-flagged and had 19 Russian crew people on board at the time it modified into seized.
It modified into amongst 5 vessels designated by the US on February 22 – two days old to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – for sanctions against Promsvyazbank, a bank considered as severe to Russia’s defence sector. The vessel’s Russian proprietor Transmorflot modified into as a consequence of this truth designated on Might per chance perhaps well moreover 8.
The tanker, which modified into reportedly carrying 115,000 tonnes of Iranian oil when it modified into seized, has been flying the Iranian flag since Might per chance perhaps well moreover 1. Iran and Russia face separate US and EU sanctions.
Its impounding led to an offended response from Iran, which denounced the confiscation as “piracy” and warned it will pick “punitive action” against Athens. Iranian forces seized two Greek tankers within the Gulf closing month.
The unfolding dispute has taken blueprint against the backdrop of nerve-racking efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran, the US and various assorted world powers. The 2015 deal noticed sanctions lifted on Iran in return for curbs on the nation’s nuclear programme. Former US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the accord in 2018.
Source
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Al Jazeera and news agencies