A large Iranian oil tanker allegedly carrying crude oil across to Syria has been intercepted by the British Royal Marines and detained in Gibraltar, over a violation of EU sanctions, according to the territory’s Chief Minister Fabian Picardo. The supertanker – Grace 1 – was stopped in the early hours of Thursday morning by British Royal Marines, Gibraltar police and customs officials.
The tanker, which was reportedly stopped at the request of the United States, was believed to be carrying its shipment of crude oil to the Banyas Refinery in the Syrian Mediterranean port town of Tartus. This refinery is property of an entity that is subject to European Union sanctions, and therefore the vessel and its contents have been detained.
The ship had been tracked as it took an unusually long route around the southern tip of Africa – the Cape – instead of the traditional route of via the Suez Canal.
Addressing the British ambassador in Tehran, Iranian officials have branded the capture as illegal, arguing that the tanker is a Panamanian flagged tanker, according to the shopping trade publication ‘Lloyds list’. The naval intelligence corporation believes that the vessel is believed to have been carrying oil from Iran. Had it been successful, this would have been the first shipment of Iranian oil to come to Europe since late 2018.
The European Union sanctions against Syria have been in place since late 2011, imposing on a total of 277 Syrian officials. It has frozen the possessions of 72 units, and introduced a constraint on Syrian oil, investment restrictions and frozen central Syrian bank assets within the EU.
