Tehran summons UK ambassador on Gibraltar detention of 'Iran tanker'

Published July 4, 2019
A British Royal Navy ship (back R) patrols near supertanker Grace 1 suspected of carrying crude oil to Syria in violation of EU sanctions. —AFP
A British Royal Navy ship (back R) patrols near supertanker Grace 1 suspected of carrying crude oil to Syria in violation of EU sanctions. —AFP

Iran summoned the British ambassador in protest at Britain's “illegal interception” of an Iranian oil tanker in Gibraltar on Thursday, the Iranian foreign ministry said.

The British territory's chief minister Fabian Picardo said earlier that a supertanker suspected of carrying crude oil to Syria in violation of EU sanctions was detained in Gibraltar.

“After the illegal interception of an Iranian oil tanker in the strait of Gibraltar by the English naval force, that country's ambassador to Tehran was summoned to the foreign ministry,” said the ministry's spokesman Abbas Moussavi.

Authorities in Gibraltar did not say where the oil came from but specialised shipping trade publication Lloyd's List said the Panamanian-flagged tanker was thought to be transporting crude from Iran.

The incident comes at a sensitive time as the European Union mulls how to respond to Iran announcing it will exceed the maximum uranium enrichment level it agreed in a landmark 2015 nuclear deal.

Washington abandoned the deal between Tehran and world powers last year and reimposed sanctions on the Islamic republic's crucial oil sales as well as other parts of the economy.

The Grace 1 tanker was halted by police and customs agencies in Gibraltar, a small rocky outcrop on Spain's southern tip. They were aided by a detachment of British Royal Marines.

Opinion

Editorial

Smog hazard
Updated 05 Nov, 2024

Smog hazard

The catastrophe unfolding in Lahore is a product of authorities’ repeated failure to recognise environmental impact of rapid urbanisation.
Monetary policy
05 Nov, 2024

Monetary policy

IN an aggressive move, the State Bank on Monday reduced its key policy rate by a hefty 250bps to 15pc. This is the...
Cultural power
05 Nov, 2024

Cultural power

AS vital modes of communication, art and culture have the power to overcome social and international barriers....
Disregarding CCI
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Disregarding CCI

The failure to regularly convene CCI meetings means that the process of democratic decision-making is falling apart.
Defeating TB
04 Nov, 2024

Defeating TB

CONSIDERING the fact that Pakistan has the fifth highest burden of tuberculosis in the world as per the World Health...
Ceasefire charade
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Ceasefire charade

The US talks of peace, while simultaneously arming and funding their Israeli allies, are doomed to fail, and are little more than a charade.