- Title: Court documents show U.S. seeks seizure of Iranian tanker violating sanctions
- Date: 17th August 2019
- Summary: GIBRALTAR (AUGUST 17, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF UNION JACK FLAG WAVING AND OIL TANKER GRACE 1 SITTING ANCHORED OFF GIBRALTAR COAST VARIOUS OF PEOPLE ON BEACH OIL TANKER SITTING ANCHORED PEOPLE ON BEACH AND GRACE 1 IN BACKGROUND GRACE 1 SITTING ANCHORED SHIP PASSING BY GRACE 1 SEAGULLS AND OIL TANKER GRACE 1 IN BACKGROUND VARIOUS OF GRACE 1 SITTING ANCHORED GIBRALTAR COAST GRACE 1 COVERED IN FOG GIBRALTAR COVERED IN FOG
- Embargoed: 31st August 2019 13:09
- Keywords: Gibraltar U.K U.S Iran Grace 1 Royal Marines
- Location: GIBRALTAR
- City: GIBRALTAR
- Country: Gibraltar
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001ASLUWCN
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The oil tanker Grace 1 remained anchored off Gibraltar coast on Saturday (August 17) despite Refinitiv tracking data briefly showing it had changed its position.
Newly released U.S. court documents show the United States issued a warrant for the seizure of an Iranian tanker that British Royal Marines had seized last month in Gibraltar, citing evidence that it was transporting oil to Syria in violation of U.S. sanctions.
The oil tanker Grace 1, the more than 2 million barrels of oil it carries and $995,000 are subject to forfeiture based on a complaint by the U.S. government, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jessie Liu said in a news release on Friday (August 16).
The tanker was seized at the western mouth of the Mediterranean on July 4 on suspicion of violating European Union sanctions by taking oil to Syria, a close ally of Iran.
In a court document obtained by Reuters, it said there was evidence that showed that the tanker was scheduled to arrive in Syria in early July.
Iran has repeatedly denied that tanker's destination was Syria.
Gibraltar authorities said on Thursday (August 15) the U.S. Department of Justice had applied to seize the tanker.
Washington had attempted to detain the Grace 1 on the grounds that it had links to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which it has designated a terrorist organization.
Gibraltar, which said it first received a U.S. Department of Justice request to seize the Grace 1 tanker on Thursday, lifted the tanker's detention order later in the same day. ,
But the vessel's fate was further complicated by a last-ditch U.S. legal appeal to hold it.
(Production: Marco Trujillo, Silvio Castellanos) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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